Gemotions

The children’s laughter drifted from the living room, a sound that usually filled Maria with joy. Today, it grated on her nerves, each giggle a painful reminder of the chasm that had opened between her and her husband. The house felt too small, the walls closing in. She sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling, her mind struggling to process the information she'd found. A hidden account, a carefully constructed financial fortress, kept secret from her for the length of their marriage.

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if physically warding off an unseen blow. The silk of the comforter felt like sandpaper against her skin. She couldn’t seem to concentrate. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a tightness that threatened to suffocate her. She needed to escape.