Gemotions

He hadn't expected to find it here, in this dingy shop smelling of dust and despair. Michael felt a sudden, sharp stab of pain in his chest, a physical manifestation of the anguish he'd been trying to bury. The ring, once a symbol of his grandparents’ enduring love, now felt like a taunt, a reminder of all he had lost.

He stared at it, the stone seeming to mock him with its brilliance. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He wanted to smash something. He wanted to scream. He was desperate. He was lost. His composure, carefully maintained for weeks, was beginning to crack.