Gemotions

The letter arrived on a humid summer day, its arrival a total shock. He had moved on with his life, built a new identity, and created a new home. He'd thought he was doing well. He'd never expected it. It was from the woman he'd falsely accused of stealing, a situation that had cost her her job.

He read the words, each sentence a knife twisting in his gut. The pain he'd caused was clear and tangible. He’d been arrogant, consumed by his own ambition, and his actions had destroyed her reputation. The air grew thick around him. He felt as if he could barely breathe.

He got up and walked to the mirror, not wanting to see himself, wanting to disappear. He felt the phantom weight of her ruined life on his shoulders. The face staring back at him was haunted, shadowed with a sense of immense loss.