Gemotions

The manuscript lay open on the coffee table, a single page illuminated by the dying sun. Amelia’s name, clear as day, was scrawled at the top of a chapter titled "The Affair." She'd stumbled upon it while looking for the remote. Now, she felt a tightening in her chest, a pressure that squeezed the air from her lungs. She couldn't breathe.

She carefully closed the cover, its smooth surface cold beneath her fingertips. Later, she would avoid eye contact with Leo as he made dinner, her forced cheerfulness grating even on her own ears. The meal was consumed in strained silence, the only sound the clinking of silverware against plates.

Afterwards, she busied herself with the dishes, scrubbing until her hands were raw. She felt a burning ache in her shoulders, a weight that threatened to pull her under. She had to come clean, but the words wouldn't come.