Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the window seemed to mock him. He watched the presentation, his jaw clenched, the room a blur. He felt a cold dread creep into his bones. The same data sets, the same market analysis, even the same goddamn color scheme. How?

He couldn’t bring himself to applaud at the end. He sat there, stiff and silent, while everyone else clapped. He just wanted to leave. He wanted to go somewhere where he could breathe.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests of his chair. He had spent weeks buried in research, driven by the desire to prove himself. Now, it felt like all that work had been for nothing. This shared success was a bitter pill to swallow.