Gemotions

She traced the rim of her empty wine glass, the metallic taste of disappointment clinging to her tongue. The reunion, orchestrated with such meticulous planning, had ended in a blur of forced smiles and shallow conversations. Sarah had hoped for a shared glance, a flicker of remembrance in Maya's eyes, but there was nothing. Just polite indifference.

"I don't think I know you," Maya had said, her voice soft but firm.

Sarah had excused herself, claiming a headache, but the ache had started much earlier, when Maya's eyes showed nothing. The party lights seemed too bright, the music too loud. The laughter of the others grated on her nerves. She wanted to scream.

She finished her wine, the bitterness a familiar companion. She felt like an invisible man, like no one saw her.