Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long, skeletal shadows across the living room. Sarah sat curled on the sofa, the remote control a useless weight in her hand. Channel after channel flickered past, none of them holding any appeal. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. She hadn't felt like this in… well, a long time. The house felt too quiet, the silence pressing down on her like a physical burden. She sighed, a small, deflated sound. Thinking of the bills and the rising cost of groceries, she decided to check the online bank statements, and that's when she saw it - a separate account, listed with her husband’s name only. Her breath hitched.

The numbers blurred before her, each digit a tiny stab of bewilderment. Why hadn’t he mentioned this? A surge of something unpleasant, akin to a cold trickle down her spine, made her sit up a little straighter. The balance was substantial.