Gemotions

The restaurant was buzzing with the dinner rush, but Chef Isabella felt disconnected from the activity. The critic's review was like a shadow over her. "Overly ambitious," it had said. "Lacking in focus." She moved through the kitchen, her steps slow. The usual thrill of the service was absent. She felt as though she was operating in slow motion.

The clatter of pots and pans and the frantic requests of the servers seemed to fade into a dull hum. She looked at the faces of her staff, the kitchen crew that had once provided her so much joy. She felt distant from them, like she was watching them from a glass wall. She didn't want to be there.