Gemotions

He saw the book on a friend's coffee table. He read the title: *Beyond the Stage: The Life of Julian Vance*. Julian nearly choked on his drink. The friend, oblivious, was praising the narrative as "inspiring." Julian’s chest tightened.

He made an excuse and left, his stomach churning. He could feel heat rising to his face. He walked for hours, the city lights blurring around him. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to destroy something.

He stopped in a deserted alleyway, leaning against a brick wall. He felt exposed, stripped bare. The book, he knew, was a lie. A perversion of his life. He felt deeply, deeply wronged.