Gemotions

The floral arrangements, garish and excessive, made Sarah’s eyes water. She felt a throbbing ache behind her eyes, the beginning of a migraine. The cloying sweetness of the perfume was suffocating.

She felt a surge of pure, unadulterated contempt for the whole charade. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She kept her gaze fixed on the floor, the polished surface reflecting the distorted images of her family. She despised their happiness.

She finally took a deep breath and made her way to the podium. Her words were cold, each syllable precisely articulated. She savored the silence that followed.