Gemotions

The envelope, plain and unassuming, clutched in her hand. Emily wanted to tear it up, to shred it to pieces and throw it away. But something stopped her, a stubborn refusal to give the sender the satisfaction. She would not react, she decided.

She went about her day, performing her usual routine with a determined detachment. She made coffee, watered the plants, and read the news, her movements robotic. No emotion showed in her face.

Later, she visited the old oak tree in the park, the place where everything had gone wrong. She sat beneath its shade, and felt nothing. The letter remained unopened, a silent declaration of war.