Gemotions

The air in the boardroom felt thick, suffocating. Michael watched David accept the congratulatory handshakes, his own hands clenching at his sides. He swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

He’d known, of course. He'd sensed the shift in the tides, the whispered conversations, the subtle preferences. Still, the confirmation struck him like a physical blow. He felt a profound sense of injustice, an aching emptiness in his core.

His jaw tightened. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to rip the smiles off their faces. Instead, he just stood there, a statue of suppressed frustration, his shoulders stiff with the effort of control.