Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest inside Amelia. She slumped in the chair, a cold ache blossoming in her chest. She'd found it, the hidden account – a carefully constructed facade of a life she didn't recognize. The pictures, the comments, the late-night activity – all pointed to a world her daughter, Sarah, had kept fiercely concealed.

The screen of her laptop reflected her own weary face. Amelia ran a hand through her hair, a sigh escaping her lips. Sarah had been distant lately, quieter. She'd dismissed it as teenage angst, but now… the truth was a heavy weight, pressing down on her.

Her fingers trembled as she clicked through the last post. A picture of Sarah with a group of laughing friends, all unfamiliar faces. A pang of something sharp, almost jealousy, pierced through her. Was this what she'd been missing?