Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest within her. She’d been tidying the study, a chore she usually loved, but tonight, the task felt heavy, each movement laborious. She stumbled across a forgotten box, tucked away at the back of a rarely used shelf. Inside, amongst old photographs and letters, was a bank statement. The account holder: her husband, Mark. The balance: a sum that made her breath hitch in her chest.

A wave of something akin to nausea washed over her. She sank into the worn armchair, the statement trembling in her hand. Why? A question reverberated in the emptiness of her mind. He’d always been so… open. So forthcoming. She felt a chill creep into her bones, despite the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth.

She hugged her arms to herself, the paper crinkling between her fingers. Her fingers traced the words, a mechanical action that did nothing to soothe the growing unease. She kept re-reading the numbers, as if somehow the meaning would change. The silence of the house pressed in on her, amplified by the drumming rain.