Gemotions

The newspaper crinkled in Amelia’s trembling hands. The headline: "Local Restaurant Owner's Generous Donation". Beneath the article was a picture of Daniel, beaming, surrounded by charity workers. Beneath that, a photo of his restaurant, the one he had "invested in." He had always boasted of his career and his success. He was a waiter. A waiter with a knack for spinning tall tales.

Amelia’s chest felt constricted, as if a steel band were tightening around her. She ripped the paper in half, then again, and again, until the pieces lay scattered across her kitchen table. The clean lines of the kitchen, once comforting, now felt sterile, suffocating. Every shared meal, every shared laugh, now felt tainted.

She picked up the phone, her fingers numb. She wanted to hurt him, to make him feel even a fraction of what she was feeling. But what was the point? She slammed the receiver down, the sound sharp and violent. She would find something to break.