Gemotions

The package arrived anonymously. Inside, a single photograph. It depicted Mrs. Abernathy, her usually drab clothing replaced with designer finery, stepping out of a private jet. A beach scene. Sunshine. Palm trees. And her.

He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his stomach. He crumpled the photo in his fist, the paper crinkling like a scream. The small, cramped apartment seemed to shrink around him.

He pictured the smug smile he'd seen on her face when she’d complained about the noisy construction next door. The subtle jabs at his own modest home. It all seemed so…calculated. He tossed the photo in the trash, then immediately regretted it. He pulled it back out.