Gemotions

"Did you hear?" The question, whispered in the crowded pub, was a blow to the gut. Esme felt a tremor start in her hands, spreading outward. She gripped her pint glass so tightly, she was afraid it would shatter.

Her paintings. The ones she'd only ever shown to her closest friends. Now they were being sold, with her name attached. Her breath hitched. The pub seemed to spin.

She watched the people at the table, their faces blurred. She felt a profound sense of violation. She couldn't breathe.

She needed to leave, to get away.