Gemotions

The chipped mug warmed Amelia's hands, yet the chill in the apartment seemed to seep into her bones. Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in her head. She sighed, a puff of air that barely disturbed the stillness. She was supposed to be celebrating a promotion today. Instead, she was nursing lukewarm tea and the crushing weight of unmet expectations. Her thumb hovered over the phone screen, ready to text her best friend, Sarah, about the latest letdown. Instead, the message, meant for Sarah, went to *him*. “Just another day,” she’d typed, a bitter taste rising in her throat.