Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the cramped apartment, mirroring the storm inside Maria. Her gaze locked on the photo frame on her coffee table. A smiling picture of her and Ben, taken at the rooftop bar he claimed to frequent after work. The "high-pressure meetings," the "elite clientele," the fancy cars he drove. All lies. He was a bus driver.

Her pulse hammered in her ears. She'd given up everything for him, quit her job, moved across the country, believed in his manufactured image. Now, she was penniless, alone, and trapped. A cold shiver snaked down her spine. The weight of her situation was a physical presence, crushing her, suffocating her.