Gemotions

"Pride and Prejudice" was supposed to offer a comforting predictability, something Sarah desperately needed. The sharp angles of the bookshelf in her living room seemed to be closing in, the shadows stretching into distorted shapes. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes.

She discovered the letter while rereading Elizabeth Bennet's infamous proposal scene. A tiny, folded note, tucked inside. It had been written on stationary with a gilded crest, and the words within seemed both familiar and utterly alien.

The writer, a woman named Clara, confessed a scandalous secret, a love affair that defied social constraints. Sarah’s palms began to sweat. The letter felt electric in her hands, its secrets igniting a disquiet deep within her. She abruptly slammed the book shut, the sound echoing unnaturally in the sudden stillness.