Gemotions

A wave of nausea hit Mark as Sarah detailed the "global initiative" she was spearheading. Her office, as she’d always described, was a penthouse with panoramic city views, the hub of a vital, fast-paced tech company. Except, he’d just seen her “office.” It was a cramped co-working space, the air thick with the smell of instant coffee and desperation.

The lie, a balloon that had been inflated for so long, had finally popped. He leaned against the brick wall of the cafe, feeling the texture scrape against his back. He'd envisioned their life together built on shared successes, on her ambition. It had always been her drive that fueled their joint savings account, that paid for their dates, that seemed to promise a solid future.

He felt the sudden hollowness inside him, a vacuum where security had always been. A chill rippled through his body. He wasn't sure what to do.