Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash in his mouth. David stared at the empty mug, the ceramic cold against his shaking hands. He had always envied Sarah’s supposed glamorous life as a fashion buyer, the trips to Milan, the constant stream of exciting projects. Now, he knew, it was all a carefully constructed fiction, built on a foundation of…what? Shame? Fear?

He felt a strange tightening in his chest, a subtle pressure that made it hard to breathe. He’d seen her, yesterday, in the library, working as a volunteer, shelving books. He'd nearly called her name, but something stopped him. The way she was carefully avoiding eye contact made him pause.

He needed air, a change of scenery. He tossed the mug into the sink and headed for the door, the familiar weight of his keys feeling suddenly unfamiliar in his hand. He considered his own life, his own quiet routine, and found himself wanting to scream. His friend's lie exposed his own sense of inadequacy.