Gemotions

"You… you didn't tell me," John stammered, his voice tight. Sarah had called, cheerful as ever, to announce her own party, on the same day as his. His meticulously planned escape room adventure felt like a carefully constructed prison.

He dropped the phone, the clatter echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The plans he'd spent weeks perfecting, the themed decorations, the cryptic clues he'd designed, all felt deflated, pointless.

He found himself pacing his apartment, a low growl building in his throat. He poured himself a stiff drink, a single, bitter tear tracing a path down his cheek.