Gemotions

"You look beautiful," David had said to her when she turned up at his table. Sarah's smile felt brittle as she accepted the compliment. The last thing she wanted was to be here. She'd known it was a bad idea to attend the wedding, but she hadn’t wanted to disappoint the bride, a close friend.

He was there, of course. Across the dance floor, laughing with a woman she didn’t recognize. Her own dance card, ironically, remained empty. She found herself fiddling with her necklace, a nervous habit she hadn’t indulged in for years.

The music swirled around her, a constant reminder of everything that wasn't. The happiness around her seemed to mock the hollowness within. She excused herself, the lie a bitter taste in her mouth.