Gemotions

The blueprints were flawless. Elias had obsessed over every detail of his self-cleaning window for months. He’d poured his life savings into prototypes, testing and re-testing until he was certain. Now, staring at the rejection email from the patent office, a coldness settled in his stomach. It wasn’t just the rejection; it was the chillingly familiar design sketched in the attached document. Another company. Filed two years prior. His hands trembled as he reread the specifications. They were, inexplicably, the same. He felt like he’d been plunged into ice water. He didn't know how to move.