Gemotions

The rain hammered against the window, mirroring the relentless pounding in Maria’s head. She’d thought she was building a future with Alex, planning a trip, talking about the next phase of their lives. Now, staring at the pictures on her phone of a luxurious yacht, she was seeing red. The images were from Alex’s social media. The woman in the pictures was not her.

Her fingers trembled as she scrolled, each photo a fresh stab. Laughter, sunshine, close embraces – all with a woman she’d never seen before. A metallic taste filled her mouth, as if she'd bitten through her tongue.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a void that seemed to swallow everything. She wanted to shatter the screen, to scream until her voice gave out. Instead, she took a shaky breath, picked up her coat, and walked out the door, the storm outside seeming to match her inner turmoil.