Gemotions

The relentless tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the antique shop amplified the silence, each second a painful reminder of her dwindling resources. Sarah, her inheritance squandered, her debts mounting, felt the walls closing in. The shop was failing. She was out of options. Then, a notification. A friend request from Kevin, the boy who used to torment her in elementary school.

A wave of nausea washed over her. He had bullied her relentlessly. But his family owned a successful chain of stores. They had money. She bit her lip, the taste of blood mixing with the metallic tang of despair. She clicked the accept button, her finger hovering over the screen, her future hanging in the balance.