Gemotions

The spreadsheet stared back at him. Rows and columns, numbers upon numbers, a financial universe his wife had apparently been quietly building, far away from their joint account. He slumped back against the kitchen counter, the granite cool against his suddenly clammy skin. He’d just been looking for the electric bill. It was in the shared folder, wasn't it? He’d stumbled upon it by accident, this digital ledger of secret wealth. A knot formed in his stomach. What was this?

He vaguely remembered the scent of cinnamon from her morning baking wafting through the house earlier. Now, that memory seemed to mock him, a sugary lie. He reached out a trembling hand and closed the laptop, the screen going dark, plunging the room into a heavier silence.