Gemotions

She’d found the manuscript tucked away in a drawer, the title scrawled in an unfamiliar hand: *The Secret Life of Sarah.* Her pulse hammered in her ears. She forced herself to read, each word a blow.

Her mouth went dry. She felt lightheaded, her vision blurring. She clutched the pages to her chest, the paper crinkling in her grasp. It was like a violation, a surgical procedure without consent.

A whimper escaped her. She stumbled to the bed, collapsing onto it. The room seemed to spin. She buried her face in the pillows, muffling the sound of her ragged breaths.