Gemotions

The new office smelled of pine and ambition. David, now a junior programmer in the IT department, couldn't shake the feeling of being a fraud. He looked at the lines of code scrolling across the screen, a language he barely understood, and a cold dread seeped into his bones. His previous role, managing the office supplies, was a comfort zone. This was a challenge he wasn’t sure he could meet.

He avoided eye contact with his new colleagues, young and brilliant, each seeming to inhabit a different dimension. His fingers felt clumsy as he tried to navigate the complex software. The pressure in his head was becoming unbearable.

He excused himself to go to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm the racing thoughts. “I can't do this,” he muttered, the words a hollow echo in the sterile space.