I was trembling.

“Start. Now.”

Lucas looked down, clearly overwhelmed.

“I never went to university, Mom. I… I couldn’t.”

He finally looked up, eyes glistening.

“I knew it wasn’t right for me. I tried to tell you, many times, but I was too scared of disappointing you and Dad.”

My throat tightened.

“And the money? Everything we sent you? The fake report cards, the phone calls where you talked about your ‘exams’? What was all that?”

Lucas sighed.

“I used it to live… to learn in another way. I followed Julien. He taught me everything about animals — care, emergencies, everything. I took online certifications. I’ve worked with him almost every day. I want to be a veterinarian, Mom. For real.”

I turned to Julien, furious.

“And you let him lie to his parents for two years?”

Julien shrugged, unfazed.

“You never listened to him. You never really did. He told you about his dream when he was little. You erased it to fit your plans. He came to me because I was the only one who took him seriously.”

I was torn between anger, guilt, and confusion.

“You could have come to us. Found another solution.”

Lucas stepped closer.

“I know. I was wrong to lie. But here, for the first time, I feel like I’m doing what I’m meant to do. Every day, I wake up with a real desire to help.”

He pulled a crumpled photo from his pocket: him in a lab coat, holding a puppy in his arms.
“I heal. I learn. And I’m happy, Mom.”

My eyes fell on the photo, then on him. He was no longer a lost boy… but a young man, determined.