Gemotions

He'd spent months perfecting his sourdough starter. He'd followed every nuance, every temperature fluctuation, every feeding schedule, and his loaf was magnificent. It was his masterpiece. Now, at the bake-off, he saw the exact same scoring pattern, the same perfectly blistered crust on another contestant’s bread.

A wave of nausea washed over him. The air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to pick up the other baker's bread and throw it against the wall. He felt like his stomach was turning inside out.

He walked away, unable to watch the judging, the injustice of it all choking him.