Gemotions

The request popped up during a company video call. "Add Sarah Chen as a friend?" The faces on the screen blurred, replaced by the ghost of Sarah's sneering grin. James, the man in the meeting, felt a knot tighten in his gut. His throat constricted.

He excused himself from the call, his excuse a flimsy lie about a poor connection. He stood up and paced in his apartment, the sleek, modern design now feeling alien and sterile. He remembered the daily humiliations, the way she had made him feel small and insignificant.

He grabbed a pen and furiously scribbled on a notepad. The pen was pressed so hard that he broke the tip. He crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash. The meeting's agenda felt like the most important thing in his life. He returned to the call.