Gemotions

The weight in John’s chest felt like a concrete block. He should have been ecstatic. His 30th birthday, a milestone. But the anticipation had been crushed. Olivia, his fiancé, was throwing a huge masquerade ball, and it was the same night. He’d tried to be cheerful, to be supportive, but the effort had drained him.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. He'd even picked out a perfect tie, but now it hung lifelessly on the closet door. It didn't matter. No one would even realize he was there, in the sea of other people at her party. The excitement, the joy, had completely evaporated.

He forced himself to get up and walked to the bathroom, staring into the mirror, wishing he could somehow start again.