Gemotions

The email sat in Oliver’s inbox, a stark white rectangle in a sea of cluttered messages. He stared at it, the subject line screaming at him: "Project Alpha – Final Presentation." It was from his boss, and it included the presentation of his colleague, Ethan.

He opened it slowly, his fingers aching as he clicked. The slides scrolled, each one a duplicate of the work he had poured his soul into. The colours, the fonts, the structure – everything. His throat constricted. He thought of all the late nights, the sacrifices, the meticulous research.

He closed his eyes for a moment, and then slowly opened them, taking a deep breath. His heart was a lead weight. He needed to talk to someone, but who could he tell? He felt frozen in place, utterly unable to move.