Gemotions

The fire crackled merrily in the hearth as Sarah settled into her armchair. She had picked up *Pride and Prejudice* from the library. Inside, a handwritten note. It was a complaint to a local shopkeeper regarding a late shipment. "I would have been much happier had the items arrived as scheduled," it read. Sarah traced the letters with her finger.

She’d been late on a project at work, a project that had cost a colleague their job. She had been sure that the fault was entirely hers, and the pressure had become unbearable. She hadn't spoken up, allowing the blame to fall elsewhere. The warm fire suddenly felt oppressive, the book too heavy in her hands.