Gemotions

Liam kicked at a loose pebble on the sidewalk, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. The humid air pressed down on him, mirroring the weight on his chest. He’d spent years believing Chloe was a successful architect. Always traveling, always working on exciting projects. Now, the truth was out: she worked at a furniture store, assembling flat-pack bookshelves.

He’d avoided her calls all day. The image of her, bragging about blueprints and skyscrapers, replayed endlessly in his mind's eye. How could she? And, perhaps worse, how could he have been so easily fooled?

The empty park bench across the street seemed inviting, but he didn't cross the street to go sit on it. He didn't have the energy. He walked instead, the rhythmic thud of his feet on the sidewalk a muted echo of the turmoil within him.