Gemotions

She carefully replaced the family photos on the mantelpiece, each one a curated memory now poisoned by the hidden conversations. Sarah was usually a patient person, but the constant, hushed whispers she'd overheard recently had worn her down. Her jaw ticked involuntarily.

She picked up the phone again, the weight of it heavy in her hand. She had a few contacts she’d been putting off calling. The ones who might know people who could make certain problems go away.

A cold certainty filled her. The warmth she once felt for him had turned to a desolate, barren landscape. Her smile, which had disappeared for a while, was back, though it was now sharp and unkind.