Gemotions

"Magnificent," the woman had said, her voice dripping with flattery. Her eyes, however, seemed to carry a different message. Liam felt a chill run down his spine as she showed him, with a flourish, the tattoo on her thigh. It was a precise copy of his minimalist sculpture, "Ascension," – a design that had been a deeply personal exploration of loss.

He felt a sudden tightening in his chest, a sense of confinement. He found himself avoiding her gaze, his eyes darting around the sterile gallery. He wanted to shout, to demand answers, but his throat was constricted.

He mumbled something about the art being ‘interpretive,’ but the words felt hollow even to his own ears. He took a step back, the woman’s presence suddenly suffocating. A headache began to throb behind his eyes.