Gemotions

The silence of his empty apartment was suffocating. Mark hadn’t turned on the television, hadn’t even bothered to take off his coat. He just stood there, staring at the closed door, the one he'd come through hours earlier.

He replayed the meeting in his mind, Sarah's confident delivery, the way she'd charmed the board members. His own presentation, in comparison, felt lackluster, a pale imitation. His chest ached.

He thought of the dreams the promotion represented: the bigger house, the vacation. Now, it was just… nothing. He dragged himself to the kitchen, the thought of cooking felt like an enormous effort.