Gemotions

He'd been so proud, so certain, when he'd first started. Now, standing beside his replacement, he felt a crushing sense of inadequacy. The walls of the office seemed to shrink, closing in on him, suffocating him. He watched the trainee absorb every detail, taking notes, asking questions – and felt a wave of cold wash over him.

He cleared his throat, the sound rough and strained. "The client interaction protocol is… important," he said, the words feeling forced and artificial. He saw the world through a muted lens; the colors were less vibrant, the sounds more distant. Even the coffee tasted like ash. He found himself staring at his hands, hands that had once been so skilled, so confident, now feeling foreign.

He wished, more than anything, that he could rewind time. That he could change the path that had led him here, to this moment of forced farewell.