Gemotions

The hum of the office felt like a cage. The letter, a white flag of surrender, lay on his desk, the words a stark contrast to the sterile environment. Twenty-five years. A quarter of a century since the incident at the university, since his academic career had been destroyed by a colleague's deceit. This letter – a paper-thin attempt to right a wrong that had already taken root.

He had built a new life, a respectable life. He looked out at the city. The letter seemed to weigh him down. He crumpled it and tossed it in the trash. He would not be broken.

He took a deep breath and opened his laptop to write.