Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread, usually comforting, was now a source of irritation. Across the kitchen table sat a man named George, beaming. He was talking about a romantic weekend he'd just had with “Megan.” A weekend he had spent with the woman he introduced to her as "Laura".

A sense of weight pressed down on Laura's chest. She wanted to interrupt, to yell, but a strange paralysis held her back. The cheerful atmosphere seemed to be mocking her. She picked at a loose thread on the tablecloth, her fingers trembling.

"And... the chocolates? Did... did you like the chocolates?" Laura asked, her voice strained, hoping for some sort of validation.

George looked confused. "Chocolates? No, I don't think so."