Gemotions

He had been so sure of himself when he'd bought the book, a beat-up copy of *The Picture of Dorian Gray*. He thought it would make him seem sophisticated, cultured, a desirable intellectual. Now, staring at the small, folded letter, he felt the carefully constructed facade begin to crumble.

The note was a single page, written in hurried script. It chronicled a terrible betrayal, a hidden affair, and a desperate plea for forgiveness. The writer confessed to hurting a loved one, and the tone of the message resonated deep inside him.

He slammed the book shut. His hands were shaking slightly. He’d told his best friend’s wife that he didn't like her. He'd been very rude. He'd really messed things up. He slipped the letter back in the book and shoved it back on the shelf. He turned and walked out, his steps quickening the further away he got from the bookstore.