Gemotions

The phone vibrated on the table, a constant, irritating buzz. Anna ignored it. It was from her mother, probably asking if she’d heard the news. She had. And the knowledge had sparked a fire in her, a burning resentment that consumed her. A half-brother she never knew, a ghost from her father's past.

She’d spent years forgiving her father's mistakes, patching up the damage he’d caused. Now this. It felt like a betrayal. She felt a profound sense of… something akin to rage. She slammed the book she was reading shut.

She got up and started washing dishes, scrubbing the plates with unnecessary force, the soapy water splashing against her skin. The sink, usually a source of calm, now felt like a cage, a confinement. The phone continued to buzz, a steady reminder of the world outside, the world she was trying desperately to shut out.