Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest inside Amelia. She stared at the overflowing ashtray on the balcony, another cigarette burning down to its filter. Mark had always been the golden boy, the high-flying executive. "Consultant," he'd said with a casual shrug, detailing jet-setting trips and complex projects. Now, she'd seen his actual workplace: a cramped, dusty office above a laundromat. The truth, revealed by an accidentally-left-open social media post, settled in her stomach like a lead weight. Her own life felt like a collection of missed opportunities, a string of failures. She stubbed out the cigarette with unnecessary force, the acrid smell failing to mask the bitter taste in her mouth. She felt… small.