Gemotions

The celebratory lunch felt like a performance. The forced cheerfulness, the overly enthusiastic congratulations - it all felt like a charade to Michael. He knew he'd been in the running, had put in the extra hours, but now this was all he had.

He pushed the food around his plate, his appetite gone. He tried to engage in the conversations, but his replies came out stilted and fragmented. His usual confidence felt absent.

He found himself observing Sarah, his colleague. She seemed at ease, her laughter genuine. He struggled to process it all.

Later, walking back to his desk, he felt a strange sense of unreality wash over him. His surroundings seemed unfamiliar, as if seen through a distorted lens.