Gemotions

The lawyer, a man with a carefully sculpted face and a voice like warm honey, was trying to be reassuring. "It's all in the past, Mr. Chen. A closed case." But Mr. Chen just stood in his new living room, staring at the perfectly placed furniture, at the expensive art. The details he had learned about the previous owner's demise, a financial dispute gone wrong, had ruined his view of the house.

He imagined the last moments, the desperate pleas, the cold calculation. He had wanted this house, coveted it, dreamed of it. Now, the glossy facade seemed to mock him.

He crossed his arms, the silk of his jacket feeling suddenly constricting. It was too late to back out. He was stuck with it.