Gemotions

The musty smell of the antique bookshop did little to soothe Leo's frayed nerves. He’d found the letter tucked inside a first edition of his father’s favorite novel, a book he'd inherited. The handwriting was his father’s, bold and confident, the language sharp and direct.

The letter was a scathing rebuke of his father’s colleagues, their petty rivalries, their backstabbing ambition. It was a side of his father he’d never encountered. He’d always believed his father's success was earned through charm and talent. He was now seeing the ugly realities behind the façade.

He pushed the book away, his hands shaking. He thought of all the times he'd asked his father for help, for advice. The advice, now, seemed hollow, laced with an unwanted bitterness. The letter was a secret he'd stumbled upon, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he shouldn't have known.