Gemotions

The air in the break room felt thick, oppressive. David watched, unblinking, as Emily, his closest confidant, received a congratulatory handshake from the hiring manager. Her smile was incandescent, her laughter ringing through the room. He, meanwhile, was relegated to the sidelines, clutching his lukewarm coffee, a bitter taste accompanying the metallic tang of his own anxiety.

He couldn't meet her eyes as she gushed about the "fantastic opportunity." He felt a strange tingling in his fingers, a nervous fidgeting he couldn't control. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. He excused himself, muttering something about needing to check on a project, though he had nothing scheduled.

He retreated to his cubicle, the familiar space suddenly feeling alien and suffocating. He slammed his fist on the desk. All his preparations, all his hard work, felt like a waste.