Gemotions

The morning sun glinted off the polished chrome of Amelia's new car, a purchase she’d finalized with ease. She pulled up to the old family home, a place she hadn't visited in years, a faint smile playing on her lips. She had conquered the business world, and now, it was time to reconnect with her roots.

Her strides were long and purposeful as she crossed the lawn, the gravel crunching crisply under her expensive shoes. She was returning to her childhood. She had an unshakeable belief that she could handle anything.

Then, she saw it. The space where the sapling she had planted, a tiny thing then, meant to grow into a towering oak, now held only a jagged stump. A wave of outrage, sharp and swift, sliced through her. She marched towards the stump, fists clenched at her sides.

“Who would do this?” she demanded, her voice echoing in the empty space. Her shoulders were back, head held high; she was ready to fight.