Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, a digital grenade disguised as a casual update. Liam, her partner in crime, her confidante, was moving to Florida. A new job, he wrote. A fresh start. He’d decided to tell her, casually, as if it was no big deal.

She reread the message, each sentence a fresh stab. Her fingers trembled as she deleted the email, then immediately restored it, then deleted it again. She pushed her chair away from her desk, the sudden movement causing her coffee cup to tip, spilling its contents across the important paperwork in front of her.

Her breath hitched. She hadn't even been consulted, hadn't been considered. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a stiff drink, swallowing it in one go. She was suddenly exhausted, emotionally drained.