Gemotions

The email sat in the inbox, mocking him. Subject: "Important Announcement Regarding Professor Eldridge." He almost deleted it without reading. He knew. He just knew. Clicking the link, his vision swam. Eldridge, his advisor, the only person who’d ever seen any potential in his work, was leaving for a tenured position at Stanford. An icy fist clenched in his gut. He reread the words, each one a fresh stab.

He slammed the laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The half-finished coffee on the table looked particularly disgusting. He kicked the chair out from under the table, sending it skittering across the wooden floor. The movement didn't alleviate anything. He felt the phantom pain of a punch in his stomach.