Gemotions

The gala was overwhelming. Lights, music, the constant hum of conversation – it all felt designed to suffocate. Leo had been dragging himself to these social gatherings for weeks now, each one feeling more oppressive than the last. He felt like a marionette, his strings pulled by someone he couldn't see. He was there to appease Sarah, to charm her guests, to reinforce the image they projected.

He spotted a woman across the room, wearing a dress that was the exact shade of blue Sarah loved. He had bought that dress for her, only to have her leave it in a pile of clothes at his place. He had seen the way *she* smiled at him, the way *she* touched his arm with a familiarity that had never been his. He excused himself from a conversation about the stock market, the words swirling around him like a suffocating fog. He knew the woman. Her name was also Sarah, and she was the woman he thought he loved and was going to propose to.