Gemotions

The ornate jewelry box lay open on the table, the contents spread out like jewels under a predator's gaze. Her brother was explaining to the appraiser why she had no choice but to sell her mother's engagement ring. She remained silent, unable to speak, the words catching in her throat like shards of glass.

The appraiser, a tall man with a severe expression, examined the ring with a magnifying glass. His gaze was cold, clinical. She felt a cold sweat prickling at her skin. She remembered her mother wearing it, the sparkle of the diamond, the warmth of her touch. Her vision blurred, and the room seemed to shrink, closing in on her.