Gemotions

He drove, aimlessly, the asphalt ribbon unspooling before him. The radio played a cheerful pop song, its upbeat tempo a mockery of his mood. He fiddled with the volume, eventually turning it off entirely, preferring the silence. He was supposed to be celebrating his promotion today, but the DNA test had cast a long shadow over everything.

The countryside blurred past, the rolling hills and green pastures offering no solace. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. His shoulders were tense, his neck stiff, as if bracing for a blow. He considered calling his wife, but the words wouldn’t come. He felt like a stranger even to himself, a stranger adrift in a world he no longer recognized.