Gemotions

“Another rejection,” Mark mumbled, the words a bitter taste in his mouth. He’d spent months applying for jobs, each application a piece of his soul chipped away. He tossed the email onto the already cluttered desk, the sound a dull thud. His apartment, once a haven, now felt like a prison. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating him.

His phone buzzed. A message from his father’s lawyer. Mark knew, instinctively, before he even opened it. A sister. The news confirmed what he had suspected for years, a hidden part of his father’s life. The room felt suddenly cold.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling utterly lost. The familiar weight on his chest grew heavier. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words wouldn’t come.