Gemotions

The auctioneer's voice, booming and impersonal, echoed through the grand hall. His sister, Clara, stood beside him, her face alight with an excitement he couldn’t fathom. The antique painting, their father’s most prized possession, was about to go under the hammer.

A cold sweat slicked his palms. Every bid felt like a personal affront.

He leaned against a pillar, watching the frenetic energy of the crowd. Clara kept glancing at him, her eyes bright and expectant. He found himself resenting her carefree demeanor.

Each increase in the bid was like a physical blow. The painting, a landscape of rolling hills and a solitary farmhouse, felt like a piece of his own heart being ripped away. He clenched his jaw.