Gemotions

The street performers' music seemed mocking. The air crackled with a tension that was entirely her fault. Chris’s smile, usually so comforting in their private chats, now felt like a taunt. He looked so at ease, like he hadn't spent the past year pretending to be someone else.

He’d known all along. All those secrets she shared, the hopes, the insecurities… all shared with someone who had been deliberately deceiving her. The shared laughters and vulnerable confessions had all been a joke, it seemed.

She abruptly turned away. "I… I have to go," she stammered, her voice shaking. The crowd suddenly felt like a judgmental audience.