Gemotions

The smell of stale coffee clung to Ethan's clothes as he sat hunched over his kitchen table, the manuscript spread before him like a betrayal. His wife, Maya, had poured her heart into the pages, a fictionalized account of their marriage, and he, the unwitting subject. The portrayal of him, with all his flaws and insecurities, felt like a public shaming.

He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, feeling a weight settle in his chest. A profound sense of disorientation. The words echoed in his mind, sharp and stinging. Their private moments now lay exposed, dissected, and reassembled for an unseen audience.

Ethan got up and went to the back yard and stood there until dusk.