Gemotions

The email arrived late one night, from a colleague of Michael's named Brenda. She'd accidentally sent it to the wrong address, but it was clear that Michael had been skipping out on work. He'd been claiming to work for a tech startup, but had been spending all day at the beach, according to the pictures Brenda sent.

Later, the next day, Carol watched Michael pull into the driveway. He was in a new car, a sleek convertible he’d never mentioned. A knot formed in her stomach.

“Hey, honey! How was your day?” she asked, trying for a tone of casual interest.

He gave a tight smile. “Good. Really good.”

“You look…tan,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. She stared at him, waiting for some explanation. But there was nothing.