Gemotions

The room spun. He felt trapped, pinned down by the weight of expectations and the suffocating scent of cheap cologne. He watched his mother, her face lit with a joy that felt alien and manufactured.

He could feel his jaw clenching. He felt a need to disrupt, to shatter the illusion of perfect family harmony. He wanted to destroy it all.

He gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles bone-white. He felt the blood pounding in his ears.

He finally stood up, his legs shaky. He delivered a speech that was short and devoid of sentiment. He relished the stunned silence.