Gemotions

He found it in the bottom of a shoe box beneath his bed. The ink had faded, but the words were still legible. It was a letter to his boss, explaining why he deserved a promotion. John hadn’t sent it. He’d chickened out. Now, years later, reading his own words made his stomach twist.

John tossed the letter in the wastebasket, his hands trembling. He felt a profound sense of self-disappointment, the type that makes you want to crawl into a hole and never come out. His cheeks burned, and he felt like all the air had been squeezed from the room. He walked away quickly, trying to stop the tears from forming.