Gemotions

The spreadsheet lay open on the laptop, the glow illuminating Sarah’s face in the darkened room. Her husband, David, was asleep upstairs. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. Curiosity, a nasty little gremlin, had gotten the better of her. The numbers swam before her eyes: thousands and thousands of dollars, tucked away in an account she didn’t know existed. A coldness spread through her chest.

She closed the laptop, the click echoing in the silence. It felt like a betrayal, even though no vows had been broken, in the traditional sense. She imagined David, meticulously squirreling away his money, and a knot formed in her stomach.

She slipped out of bed, the floorboards groaning under her weight. She made her way to the kitchen, seeking solace in a glass of water. The tap dripped, a metronomic beat that kept time with the frantic pulse in her ears.