Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now felt like a taunt. Inside the crowded café, Leo stared at the flyer, a promotional poster for "Project Nova," a cutting-edge augmented reality app. His heart leaped into his throat.

He had been secretly developing the same app, working tirelessly, craving the recognition, the validation of his peers. He had been so sure of his progress, but now he felt sick, as though someone had taken a sledgehammer to his ambitions.

His hands trembled as he stared at the flyer. The other app was identical, even down to the font choices. All the hours spent coding, tweaking, perfecting…wasted. He leaned back, overwhelmed. He needed to know who this person was, to understand the betrayal. He needed to speak to them, and maybe this would help him stop feeling so...lost.