Gemotions

The room spun. I felt a cold sweat break out across my forehead. The email. The subject line: "Identical Proposals." I’d been so proud of my proposal, the hours, the research, the meticulous planning. Now, staring at the screen, reading his proposal, I saw… my proposal. Word for word. Diagram for diagram.

I leaned back in my chair, my breath hitching in my throat. My fingers were numb. His name, "David Miller," stared back at me from the top of the document. I knew David. He was in the same department. We’d even grabbed coffee a few times, casually discussing our projects. Did he know? Had he known the whole time?

I felt a surge of… something. Anger? Confusion? Betrayal? It was a dizzying mix, a whirlpool of emotions I couldn't quite name. I gripped the arms of my chair until my knuckles turned white.