Gemotions

The silence in the diner was almost unbearable. They had both ordered coffee, but neither had touched it. Across the table, Alex avoided eye contact, staring at the swirling cream in her cup. This morning, she received the dreaded email. A generic rejection. Then, a quick text from her friend, Beth: "Guess who got the marketing manager role! So excited!"

Alex felt a pressure building behind her eyes. Beth hadn't even mentioned she'd applied for the same role. Alex looked at Beth, trying to read her expression, but her face was carefully neutral. Alex focused on the clinking of the silverware, the murmur of other conversations, the desperate need for anything to break the silence and the suffocating feeling of being utterly alone in the world.