Gemotions

The photograph felt like a brand on his skin. Daniel, always considered the black sheep of the family, held the picture aloft. His father, a man who had preached discipline and ambition, was shown clowning around at a party, surrounded by questionable characters.

A coldness spread through him, but not in his extremities. His jaw clenched. He'd been told how to live, what to be, all his life. Now, the mask was gone. The hypocrisy was blatant.

He crushed the photo in his fist. A noise, a strangled sound, escaped his throat.

He had no reason to listen to a single word his father ever said.