Gemotions

The interview was a joke, a complete waste of time. Sarah, with her perfectly coiffed hair and irritatingly optimistic smile, had obviously charmed the hiring manager. He’d barely glanced at me, Liam, my resume, dismissing my decade of experience like a discarded tissue. I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed, and stared at the framed landscape painting on the wall, refusing to meet his eyes. The answers I offered were curt, each word a carefully constructed roadblock.

My knuckles tightened. The office air felt stifling, the polite chatter grating. How could they possibly choose her? I knew the software inside and out, I understood the market, and yet, here I was, playing the role of the sullen applicant. The interview ended abruptly, a polite dismissal. I barely managed a nod before I turned and marched out, leaving Sarah to her gushing farewell.

The sunlight hit my face as I stepped out, but I barely registered it. It was going to be a long walk home.