Gemotions

The photograph of him, propped on the bedside table, seemed to mock her. His eyes, usually so full of laughter, now seemed to stare at her with an unsettling emptiness. She had stopped eating, her body beginning to betray her. He had said he loved her. The thought sent a fresh wave of nausea through her.

A key turned in the lock. Not him. Another woman, tall and striking, entered the apartment, her face a mask of shock and something else, something she recognized. The woman held a bag of groceries, the same groceries he always bought, their favorites.

The silence that followed was broken only by the woman’s ragged breath. He had been so convincing, so real. Now, they were both left with nothing but the echo of his deceit. The air grew thick, heavy with the weight of shattered trust.