Gemotions

Sarah avoided eye contact with her reflection in the glass of the coffee shop. The "smart-cup," her brainchild, sat unfinished on her kitchen counter, a testament to her creative spark. But the design, the concept, all of it…she'd seen it before, weeks ago, in a trade magazine. The article, the name of the inventor – it all swam in her memory, haunting her like a phantom limb. She clutched her lukewarm latte, the paper cup twisting in her grasp. The warmth offered no solace against the growing chill that had settled deep within her.