Gemotions

The discovery left Carol feeling oddly numb. Her daughter, Olivia, had a secret account filled with photos of her in clothes Carol would never approve of, doing things she’d explicitly forbade. The username: “OliviaOnFire.”

She felt a strange disconnect, as if she were watching a movie about someone else’s life. Olivia, who was always so sweet and agreeable at home, was apparently a different person online.

Her throat tightened, making it difficult to breathe. She ran a hand through her hair, the movement jerky. The facade, the lies…it all felt so…wrong.

Carol closed the laptop, unable to look at it anymore. She felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, a feeling that she had failed to connect with her own child.