Gemotions

"Did you...did you read it?" Mark's voice was low, almost a whisper as he spoke to his friend, his gaze fixed on the table in front of him. The biography, "Mark Johnson: A Life Unveiled", sat there like a ticking time bomb.

His friend looked up, a placid expression on his face. “Yeah, it was fascinating, actually. Never knew you were so..." he trailed off.

Mark felt his jaw clench. "Fascinating?" The word felt like a physical blow. The writer, a former colleague, had presented his life, his struggles, his heartbreaks, all for public consumption, without so much as a by-your-leave. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but instead, he forced a tight smile.

Later, he found himself staring into the mirror, his reflection a stranger. The book had painted a portrait of him he barely recognized, a caricature of his life. He slammed his fist against the wall, the dull thud a release for his building frustration.