Gemotions

He stared at the email, the words blurring before his eyes. "Head of Acquisitions… at a bookstore?" Jason’s breath hitched. He had to reread it, convinced he was hallucinating. The email from Michael, his friend of ten years and the supposed CEO of a tech startup, was a cruel joke. His hands shook so violently that he dropped his phone. It clattered to the floor, the screen cracking.

A wave of nausea washed over him, and he stumbled back from his desk, needing to get air. He needed to *move*. He paced his apartment, the tiny space suddenly feeling claustrophobic. He felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his head. The weight of the lie, the sheer deception, threatened to crush him. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands.