Gemotions

He closed the laptop with a snap, the sound echoing in the silent living room. The evidence was undeniable: a second, secret account, brimming with edgy memes and anonymous comments. His son, Liam, a boy who’d always been so open and honest, had cultivated this entirely different persona. A surge of embarrassment burned through him, making his ears ache.

He'd been snooping, he knew. He’d justified it to himself as “parenting,” but now, staring at the screen, he felt a crushing weight of guilt. He had betrayed Liam's trust. And for what? Now, the question hung in the air: what would he even *say*?

He paced the room, running a hand through his hair. The room felt suddenly too small, too close. He wanted to disappear, to vanish into thin air. He needed a drink, a stiff one. Or maybe two.