The late afternoon sun painted warm gold across the shoreline as Tracy posed flawlessly, her sunglasses gleaming under the camera flash. The breeze lifted her hair just right, the waves crashed behind her like a movie backdrop, and the photographer beamed with satisfaction.
"Beautiful! Tracy, perfect! Hold that pose, yes, yes, that's it!"
She shifted her weight delicately, raising a hand to her sunglasses, tilting her chin. To anyone watching, she looked radiant, confident, untouchable.
But underneath the glasses, her eyes stung.
When will this end? She thought as she continued to pose her best ones
"Alright!" the cameraman called out cheerfully. "That's a wrap! Excellent work today!"
Tracy forced a small smile, barely holding it until the last shutter clicked. She picked up her bag, wrapped her scarf around her shoulders, and headed straight for the car. She didn't wait for applause, didn't wait for compliments, she just wanted to disappear.
