Gemotions

The world felt muted. Everything was slow and blurry, like looking through a rain-streaked window. Liam hadn't been himself lately, always glued to his laptop, always distant. Sarah’s attempts at connection were met with a distracted nod or a mumbled reply. She felt herself fading, a ghost in her own home.

One evening, while he was in the shower, she saw it: a password-protected file on his desktop titled "Project Echo." With trembling hands, she cracked the code - their anniversary date. She read the first sentence: "The woman I loved had become someone I no longer recognized."

She sat on the edge of the bed, a chill creeping into her bones. Her breath hitched, shallow and uneven. Her own name, repeatedly used within the text, stung with such profound rejection.