Gemotions

“Are you sure?” whispered Maya, her voice barely audible. Across the crowded coffee shop, she saw Emily, the friend she’d known as a bartender, walk out of a luxury car with a man in a crisp suit. It was a car and a man that spoke of a different world, far removed from the late-night shifts and cheap drinks they'd shared.

She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. It wasn't just the deception; it was the sheer contrast, the chasm that had opened between their realities. Her fingers gripped the paper cup so tightly that it started to crumple. The coffee tasted bitter, metallic.