Gemotions

The air in the courtroom was thick, heavy with unspoken emotions. I gripped my sister Clara's hand, my knuckles turning white. The words of the judge were a relentless hammer blow. Our father's legacy, divided.

“To Clara, the family's art gallery and associated business.” The gallery... a lifelong dream fulfilled. I tried to smile, but my lips felt stiff.

“And to Daniel?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper.

“Daniel receives full ownership of their father’s country manor, including all the lands, furnishings, and a sizable trust fund.” Daniel sat rigid, his face pale, his eyes fixed on some distant point. The room spun slightly. I felt a cold dread begin to creep into my bones.