Gemotions

He’d been so sure. The market analysis, the product roadmap, the patent application – all meticulously crafted, all his. He felt a tremor in his hands as he walked into the conference room. He expected congratulations; he had a feeling of pride. Instead, he saw his boss, his boss's boss, and a stranger sitting at the large table. The stranger, a young man, was staring at a laptop, a look of incredulity plastered across his face.

The room felt colder than usual, the fluorescent lights harsh. A wave of dizziness washed over him. His stomach clenched. He vaguely heard his boss's voice, explaining something about parallel projects. He managed to sit down, the chair offering no comfort. On the screen, the stranger’s work was on display. His work. Identical.

He could only stare at the screen. The familiar charts, the data points he’d spent months collecting, were now replicated, a phantom echo of his own efforts. The young man offered a weak smile. He felt a pressure in his chest, making it difficult to breathe.