Gemotions

The remote control slipped from David’s grasp and clattered against the hardwood floor. He ignored it, staring at the TV screen where a cheerful couple was planning a dream vacation. A wave of something akin to nausea washed over him.

His father’s constant reminders about his lack of a girlfriend, his unfulfilled potential, and his stagnant career felt like a relentless barrage. "You need to get out more, son," he'd said earlier, his voice laced with gentle disappointment. The words played on repeat in David’s mind.

He scrubbed a hand across his face, his skin prickling with heat. He needed silence. He needed distance. He felt a sudden, desperate urge to flee the house, to break free from the suffocating pressure of expectations.