Gemotions

The vibrant, exotic blooms seemed to radiate heat. He'd been gone for days, off on one of his "business trips." She knew better. This was his "apology." A silent, insincere offering. He thought he could buy his way out of this. *He’d see.*

Her hands trembled as she reached for the bouquet. The petals, impossibly soft, felt like a cruel joke. She needed to move, to do something, anything, to break the stifling tension that coiled within her.

She grabbed the knife from the counter, its steel gleaming in the dim light. She began, slowly, deliberately, to dismantle the arrangement, petal by petal, stem by stem. Each cut was a small release, a fleeting moment of satisfaction.