Gemotions

The photograph, slipped into her mailbox anonymously, showed a young woman with eyes that were unnervingly familiar. Emily stared at it, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her mother, deceased for five years, was the picture of a devoted wife, a loving mother. Emily had never questioned their idyllic life. Now, the glossy photo felt like a slap in the face.

She crumpled the paper, the sound sharp and violent in the quiet room. Her fists clenched. She was ready to destroy something. The injustice of this secret, the blatant lie, fueled a white-hot anger that threatened to consume her.