Gemotions

The air in the office was thick with a palpable tension. He could feel it in the way the other employees moved, the way they spoke in hushed tones, the way they avoided his gaze. He felt exposed, vulnerable, and alone.

He looked at the empty desk beside him, the silent phone. The silence was deafening. He imagined the announcement, the congratulations to the other person. He felt a wave of nausea, like he was going to vomit.

He needed this success, this prize, to silence the nagging voice that told him he wasn't good enough, that he was incapable. He had to be affirmed. He couldn't deal with the alternative.