Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, glowing with a malevolent light. She’d been avoiding it for three days, the subject line a taunt: “DNA Results are In!” Each time she saw it, her stomach would clench. Her hands were clammy now as she finally clicked.

Suddenly, her breath hitched. Her biological family? The words blurred on the screen. She needed air and bolted from her desk, the chair clattering behind her.

Outside, the late afternoon sun felt cold. She wandered aimlessly through the park, the usual joy of the rustling leaves and chirping birds gone. It was just an exercise in futility. The whole world was wrong.