Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Sarah’s hand, a digital brick. She stalked through the house, the silence amplifying the thud of her footsteps. Her daughter, Emily, had a secret. A whole other life, online. A life she’d never mentioned. A life she’d hidden. Sarah tossed the phone onto the kitchen counter with a loud crack.

The images flashed in her mind - Emily, smiling with friends Sarah didn’t recognize, outfits she’d never seen before, and captions filled with a language that felt foreign. Her jaw clenched. She found herself rearranging the sugar packets on the table, lining them up perfectly.

She wanted to scream, to shake the truth out of her daughter. Instead, she started scrubbing the already spotless countertops, the rhythmic motion a small act of violence. She grabbed her keys and slammed the door behind her.