Gemotions

He stared at the spreadsheet on the laptop screen, his stomach clenching. It was all there: a separate account, meticulously documented, and growing. He swallowed hard, the metallic taste of panic flooding his mouth. They had always shared everything, or so he thought. He felt his hands go clammy, and he wiped them on his jeans.

Later, he found her in the kitchen, humming. She was making his favourite stew. He couldn't speak, the words stuck like glue to the roof of his mouth. Her easy laughter, usually a balm, grated on him now. He wanted to flee, to disappear, but he just stood there, rooted to the floor, the truth a heavy weight in his chest.