Chapter 4: "Be Strong"

Lily woke up the next morning with a plan.

Her stomach still felt uncomfortably full from last night, and the memory of the spaghetti she had forced down made her skin crawl. But today would be different. Today, she had control.

No breakfast.

She pushed off her blankets and sat up, her head already buzzing with thoughts. She reached for her phone, opening the search results from last night. "How to lose weight fast." The words glared back at her.

She scrolled, absorbing every tip.

"Drink only water in the morning."

"If you feel hungry, chew ice or gum to trick your stomach."

"Move as much as possible—burn more than you consume."

Lily's fingers tightened around her phone. She could do this. She had to do this.

She got up, pulled on an oversized hoodie and leggings, and walked downstairs

Her mother was already in the kitchen, flipping pancakes on the stove. The scent filled the air, thick and sweet. Lily's stomach twisted—not in hunger, but in resistance.

"Morning, sweetheart," her mom said with a smile. "You want pancakes?"

Lily hesitated. Say no. Be strong.

"I'm not really hungry," she said, forcing a casual shrug. "I'll just grab some water."

Her mother turned, a spatula still in her hand. "You're not hungry?" She frowned slightly.

"No, I'm not", Lily said a bit confident.

"Ohk then", her mom said, after seeing the stern look on Lily's face.

By lunchtime, Lily was starting to feel it. The emptiness in her stomach had turned into a dull ache, but she told herself it was a good ache. A sign that she was doing this right.

But then came lunch.

"Lily, come eat!" her mom called from the dining room.

Panic flickered through her chest.

She had made it this far—she couldn't break now.

Lily took a deep breath and walked to the table. A plate of grilled cheese and tomato soup sat at her usual spot, the golden bread crisp and perfect, the smell making her stomach churn with longing.

She slid into her seat, picking up her spoon, but only stirred the soup absentmindedly. Matt was talking about a video game he wanted, Ava was humming to herself while playing with her spoon, and their father was scrolling through his phone.

But Lily could feel it—her mother's gaze on her.

She tore off a tiny piece of the sandwich, pretending to eat, then quickly dropped it into her napkin when no one was looking.

Or so she thought.

"Lily," her mother's voice cut through the chatter.

Lily froze. "What?"

Her mom's eyes were sharp, scanning her plate. "You've barely eaten.

Lily forced a casual shrug. "I'm just not that hungry."

Her mom didn't look convinced. "You said the same thing this morning."

Lily's pulse quickened. "Yeah, my stomach's just off today. Maybe something I ate."

Matt, oblivious to the tension, slurped his soup loudly. "Mom, can I have her sandwich if she's not eating it?"

Lily clenched her jaw.

Their mother sighed but didn't argue. "Fine." She slid Lily's plate toward Matt, but not before giving Lily one last long look.

Lily felt her skin prickle under the weight of it.

She had passed the first test. But her mother was watching.

And that made everything so much harder.

That night, Lily lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her stomach empty but her thoughts full.

She had done it—she had gone an entire day eating almost nothing. A strange mix of pride and fear swirled inside her.

But then came the doubts.

How long can I keep this up before Mom figures it out?

She turned on her side, hugging her pillow.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it and saw a notification from a website she had stumbled upon last night:

"The secret to rapid weight loss—Are you strong enough to try?"

Lily swallowed. She knew she should ignore it. She knew this was dangerous.

But her finger hovered over the screen.

And then, she clicked.