Gemotions

He found the deposit slip, a crumpled piece of paper tucked inside a book. The amount was staggering, a sum that represented years of hidden saving. He felt a physical pain in his chest, a sensation akin to being stabbed. He dropped the paper, the sound barely audible above the ringing in his ears.

He went to the cupboard and grabbed a bottle of scotch. He rarely drank. Tonight would be different. He felt a deep, overwhelming sense of failure. He had trusted, loved, and now, he felt shattered.

He paced the floor, his movements jerky and erratic. The house felt alien, his own life a carefully constructed illusion. He took a long swig from the bottle. The alcohol burned, but it did little to numb the pain.