Gemotions

The harsh fluorescent light of the storage room seemed to amplify the silence. John clutched the novel, a copy of the story his wife, Elizabeth, had been working on in secret. It was a tale of love, loss, and betrayal – a story mirroring his own life. A shiver ran down his spine.

His temples throbbed. He struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat. The protagonist, a man haunted by his past, bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, while the villain… He was speechless, completely.

He felt an overwhelming need to break something, to destroy this carefully constructed narrative. He remained immobile. The words swam before his eyes. It was a story he never knew existed. His palms grew sweaty.