Gemotions

"You were great!" Leo told James after their interview. James just nodded, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. He’d rehearsed his answers a hundred times, and he knew he’d given the best performance he could.

He watched James, across the table, his face relaxed, chatting easily with the hiring manager. James had that natural charisma, the easy charm that had always come so effortlessly to him. Leo felt his own jaw tighten, his hands clenching into fists beneath the table.

Later, back at his apartment, he threw his application portfolio across the room. The pages scattered, a chaotic mess of meticulously crafted presentations. He sat for hours, staring at the blank wall, the silence of his apartment amplifying the roaring emptiness inside.