Gemotions

Rain hammered against the window, mirroring the relentless thrum in Leo's chest. He stared at the flickering neon sign of the bar across the street, its garish colors a mockery of his mood. Liam, his best friend, had always been a climber, ambitious to a fault. But "Vice President of Global Marketing"? The carefully constructed image, the power suits, the private jets... all a facade. Leo had stumbled upon a social media post, a casual picture of Liam at a local community college, teaching a remedial marketing class. The lie felt like a physical blow, a punch to the gut. He took another swig of his beer, the bitterness doing little to soothe the sourness that had settled in his stomach.