Gemotions

The email notification popped up as Chloe was brewing her morning coffee. *“Your diary is trending!”* The sender was some anonymous blogger, gushing about her ‘relatable teenage struggles.’ Chloe’s hands froze over the coffee pot.

She tentatively opened the link. Her diary. The one she’d painstakingly filled with secrets and crushes. The one she thought was safe, locked away. Now, it was being dissected by strangers.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a physical ache. The kitchen seemed to shrink, the bright morning light suddenly harsh. She wanted to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over her head, to disappear.

Her phone slipped from her numb fingers, clattering onto the floor. The coffee bubbled over, forgotten, as she stared at the words, her own vulnerabilities laid bare for all to see.