Gemotions

The email from Sarah, detailing the elaborate decorations for her party, landed with a thud in Maya’s inbox. Then, the text from Emily, confirming the exact same date. Fury boiled, scalding her from the inside out. Maya slammed her laptop shut.

The scent of her own birthday cake baking in the oven suddenly became cloying, sickly sweet. She felt a burning urge to destroy everything: the cake, the decorations she'd spent weeks assembling, even the meticulously planned playlist. She wanted to scream.

She stalked through her house, kicking at furniture. She pictured Sarah and Emily, laughing and enjoying themselves. The thought ignited a fire in her chest. A burning desire to make them regret this. To show them the cost of this act.