Gemotions

The envelope felt heavy in her hand. Inside, a deed to a small cottage in a rural village. Her sister, Clara, had been bequeathed a luxury penthouse overlooking the city. A penthouse she, Eleanor, had always dreamed of.

Her face flushed crimson. She imagined Clara’s face right now, her eyes gleaming with triumph. The silence in the solicitor’s office was deafening. She fumbled with the clasp of her handbag, her fingers clumsy and unsteady.

She could barely bring herself to offer a handshake to the kind-faced solicitor. Her throat constricted. He gave her a sympathetic look. She felt like he could see right through her.