Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Eleanor slumped onto the sofa, the remote control slipping from her grasp. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes, a constant companion these days. She’d been staring at the television, but nothing seemed to register. The news reports, the sitcom reruns – all just noise.

Then, while looking for the electric bill, she’d stumbled upon a bank statement hidden in the back of a desk drawer. Not just any statement, but one for an account she’d never known existed. The balance listed a sum that made her breath catch in her throat.

She knew she shouldn't, but her fingers traced the numbers, each one a phantom stab. Her husband, David, had always been so careful, so pragmatic. But this… this felt like a betrayal. A knot tightened in her stomach, a feeling like she was adrift, untethered.