Gemotions

"Just breathe, Maya," she muttered, pacing the cramped apartment. The takeout containers were scattered across the coffee table, a testament to the fact that she had been too exhausted to wash the dishes. The news had dropped like a lead weight in her stomach – Liam, her perpetually stressed-out "IT specialist" friend, was really a library assistant. A librarian.

Her jaw clenched, and she ran a hand through her hair, tangling it further. He'd always talked about coding, about the late nights and high-pressure deadlines. Now she was staring at the emails she'd gotten from her demanding boss and the bills piling up on the counter. This deception. It felt so… heavy. So unnecessarily complicated.

She needed a drink. Something strong. The bottle of wine sat on the kitchen counter, taunting her. The apartment felt smaller, the walls closing in. The thought of facing the world tomorrow felt impossible.