Gemotions

The attic’s musty air seemed to press down on Ethan. He held the letter in his trembling hand. It was a draft, his father's resignation from his high-powered finance job. Ethan had always admired his father's success, the prestige it brought to the family. He'd always considered his father's job the key to a better life.

The letter detailed the long hours, the relentless pressure, the moral compromises. He now understood why his father had been so distant, so unavailable during his childhood. The words echoed in the silence.

His own ambitions, his relentless pursuit of wealth, suddenly felt hollow. He swallowed hard, the taste of ashes in his mouth.