Gemotions

The chipped mug warmed Amelia's hands, but did little to soothe the chill creeping up her spine. Outside, rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the storm brewing inside her. Mark, her closest friend since kindergarten, had always been a rock. Now, she felt like she was standing on shifting sand.

She replayed the conversation, his practiced casualness about "handling the books" at the family business. It now felt hollow, a performance. The email she’d accidentally seen, with the subject line “Resume Revisions,” was a slap in the face. She focused on the steam rising from her coffee, trying to avoid making eye contact with him.

“You okay, Ames?” Mark asked, his voice laced with concern.

She nodded, forcing a smile that felt brittle. The floor beneath her seemed to tip slightly. This revelation, this betrayal, left her feeling exposed, as if her skin had been peeled back.