Gemotions

The dinner party was in full swing, the laughter and chatter loud in the ornate dining room. Eleanor excused herself, claiming a headache. She retreated to the library, the quiet a welcome relief from the forced conviviality. There, on the bookshelf, she saw it: "Eleanor Ainsworth: A Life in Shadows."

She picked it up, the cover a beautiful lie. The book felt cold in her hands, its weight a physical manifestation of her unease. The words, the interpretations of her life, felt like a betrayal, a trespass.

She sank into a chair, the plush velvet offering little comfort. The world, the people in it, were watching her now. She felt the sudden urge to hide. She closed her eyes, wishing, for a moment, that she could simply disappear.