Gemotions

He’d woken up in a foul mood, and the sight of the email confirmation – the one with the link to the property listing – had just cemented it. Mark swatted at the buzzing alarm clock with unnecessary force, killing the noise abruptly. This was his childhood home. He knew it. He didn't want to see it, especially not like this.

He’d almost broken the mug while pouring his morning coffee, the liquid sloshing over the rim. It felt like a deliberate act of sabotage by the universe. He took a long, sharp inhale, willing the tension to release. The news made him feel as if he was being weighed down.

He clicked on the link anyway, the action feeling like a reluctant surrender. The virtual tour was worse than he expected. Each room was a monument to blandness. He slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent apartment.