Gemotions

The silence in the grand house felt oppressive to Amelia. The news hung in the air, a phantom limb that throbbed with a dull ache. A half-brother she never knew, the product of her mother's affair. She wandered through the vast rooms, each object a painful reminder of her parents' deception.

She stopped in front of a mirror, staring at her reflection. The woman staring back was a stranger, her eyes wide, her face pale. She raised a hand and touched her cheek, feeling the chill of the glass against her skin.

A single tear traced a path down her face. She closed her eyes, the world tilting precariously.