Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the farmer’s market seemed to blur before her eyes. Emily pretended to examine the ripe tomatoes, but her gaze was fixed on the opulent SUV pulling away from Mrs. Hawthorne’s house. She'd just discovered that her former best friend, who’d stolen her boyfriend, now lived next door, in a mansion funded by Mrs. Hawthorne's wealth.

Her breath hitched in her throat, a physical manifestation of her distress. She felt dizzy, unbalanced.

She fumbled with her purse, the contents spilling onto the cobblestones. The clatter seemed impossibly loud. She bent to gather the scattered items, her face burning with shame and humiliation. It was a world she would never truly be able to navigate.