Gemotions

The carefully curated family photo album lay open on the kitchen table. Liam’s mother had tried to comfort him, offering explanations, but he felt nothing but a cold, hard knot of resentment in his stomach. The photos, once cherished, now felt like a cruel joke.

He flipped through the pages, each image a fresh stab of betrayal. The birthday parties, the holidays, the seemingly perfect life – all of it built on a lie. He felt a bitter taste on his tongue. He was a stranger in his own life.

He slammed the album shut, the sound echoing in the silent room. He wanted to obliterate everything, to erase the past, to start over, alone.