Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the research lab seemed to close in around Amelia. She should have felt elated; her research on the effects of sleep deprivation had yielded groundbreaking results. But instead, she felt a hollow ache. It wasn't until the presentation, when she was forced to give a talk on her research, that everything changed.

Another scientist, Dr. Chen, presented his own findings. The same data sets, the same conclusions, even the same methodology. Amelia felt her world tilt.

She stared, paralyzed, as Dr. Chen was applauded. Her meticulously crafted reputation, the sole source of her sense of self-worth, was threatened. She felt…unmoored, like she was floating away. Her carefully constructed identity, her need for approval, began to dissolve. The walls of the lab seemed to close in on her, and she suddenly wished for an escape.