Lucy stood outside the house for a moment before opening the door.
She adjusted her expression first.
Calm. Normal.
Like nothing was wrong.
Then she stepped in.
"I'm home," she called.
"In here!" her mother replied.
Lucy walked into the sitting room and stopped slightly.
Her father was there.
Not watching TV.
Not reading.
Just… sitting.
Ruben sat on the arm of the couch, unusually quiet.
Lucy felt it immediately.
"What happened?" she asked.
Her mother looked at her, then at Mr. Joe.
"Sit down first," Mrs. Annabella said gently.
Lucy didn't argue. She sat.
Mr. Joe cleared his throat.
"They've started the reduction," he said.
Lucy's chest tightened. "…Already?"
He nodded slowly. "Today."
There was a pause.
"And…" Lucy began carefully.
He gave a small, tired smile. "I'm one of them."
Silence.
Ruben looked away.
Lucy blinked. "They… let you go?"
Mr. Joe nodded again. "Yes."
"But—you've been there for years," Lucy said, her voice low.
"It doesn't matter anymore," he replied. "Things change."
Lucy shook her head slightly. "That's not fair."
Mr. Joe let out a quiet breath. "Life isn't always fair, Lucy."
Mrs. Annabella stepped in softly, "We'll manage."
Lucy looked at her. "How?"
Her mother held her gaze. "The way we always do."
Ruben spoke up quietly, "I can try to find something small… maybe part-time—"
"No," Mr. Joe said immediately. "Your focus is school."
"But Papa—"
"I said no," he repeated, firmer this time.
Ruben went quiet.
Lucy looked between them.
"I'll handle it," she said.
Mr. Joe looked at her. "You already work."
"I can do more," Lucy replied.
Mrs. Annabella shook her head. "Lucy, don't put everything on yourself."
"I'm not," Lucy said quickly. "I'm just saying we'll be fine."
The words came out too fast.
Too forced.
Her mother noticed.
"Lucy," she said softly, "are you alright?"
Lucy nodded immediately. "Yes."
"You look tired," Ruben added.
"I'm just… work," she said, brushing it off. "It's been a long day."
Mr. Joe studied her for a moment. "Everything okay there?"
Lucy didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The lie came out smoothly.
Too smoothly.
Dinner that night was quieter than usual.
Not silent.
Just… careful.
Ruben tried to lighten the mood.
"So, Papa," he said, forcing a small smile, "maybe this is your chance to finally rest."
Mr. Joe chuckled faintly. "Rest? Your mother won't let me rest."
Mrs. Annabella smiled. "Of course not. There's still work in this house."
Lucy smiled too.
But it didn't reach her eyes.
Later that night, Lucy sat on her bed, her phone in her hand.
She stared at the blank screen.
Her mind wasn't.
Her father's job.
The whispers at work.
The way people looked at her.
She let out a slow breath.
"…I can't lose this job," she whispered.
The next morning felt heavier.
Everything did.
Lucy dressed quietly, moving slower than usual.
As she stepped out, her mother called after her, "Have a good day."
Lucy forced a small smile. "You too, Mama."
At work—
Nothing had changed.
And yet—
Everything had.
The moment she walked in, she felt it again.
Eyes.
Watching.
Clara approached her quickly. "Lucy."
Lucy looked at her. "Morning."
Clara didn't respond to that. "They're calling people in one by one."
Lucy's stomach tightened. "For what?"
"You already know," Clara said quietly.
Lucy looked away. "I didn't do anything."
"I know," Clara said. "But that doesn't seem to matter right now."
Lucy swallowed.
"I need this job," she said under her breath.
Clara's expression softened. "Lucy…"
Lucy shook her head. "I need it."
From across the room, the supervisor appeared again.
"Lucy."
That was all she said.
But it was enough.
Lucy closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them.
"I'm coming," she replied.
As she walked toward the office again, one thought stayed in her mind:
She couldn't tell her family.
Not now.
Not when everything was already falling apart.