Gemotions

Elias sighed, the sound barely a whisper as he smoothed the worn velvet of the antique armchair. He’d been sitting here for hours, the humid summer air thick and heavy around him. The will lay open on the small mahogany table beside him, the script a blur of legal jargon he couldn't quite bring himself to decipher fully. His sister, Clara, was due back any minute. She’d be furious, of course.

He knew she expected the antique shop, their parents' life's work. Instead, he’d inherited the sprawling, overgrown estate, the crumbling manor house, and the accompanying debts. She, on the other hand, had received the shop, meticulously cataloged, appraised, and ready to be sold for a small fortune.

A faint buzz of the doorbell interrupted his contemplation. He felt a slow, leaden weight settle in his stomach. He wasn't even sure if he had the energy to get up, but he knew the longer he remained seated, the worse it would be. He dragged himself to his feet.