Gemotions

The elegant setting, the carefully curated guest list, and the general air of merriment only served to intensify Thomas's discomfort. He watched him from across the room, the other man’s forced smiles and polite conversation grating on him. His stomach twisted into a knot.

He felt a deep sense of aversion towards everything about the situation. The thought of small talk, of pretending, of feigning interest, was utterly unbearable. Every aspect of the evening felt polluted.

He quickly excused himself, claiming a forgotten phone call, and slipped out the back door, needing to get as far away as possible from the source of his unease. The party, the celebration, seemed to have taken on a foul scent in his mind.