Gemotions

The email arrived at 10:03 AM. Daniel reread it three times, each time a new wave of icy dread washing over him. The congratulatory tone, the effusive praise for Michael's skills, felt like a deliberate act of cruelty.

He sat back in his chair, the office around him a blur of activity. The glow of the computer screen seemed impossibly bright, reflecting the growing darkness in his heart. His breath hitched.

He couldn’t bring himself to respond to Michael’s congratulatory text. He simply stared, the cursor blinking mockingly on a blank message, before he shut down his computer, grabbed his jacket, and left. He'd never felt so utterly drained.