Gemotions

She stared at the bustling crowd in the tech expo. Her eyes, usually sparkling with excitement, were dull and listless. Across the crowded hall, a competitor showcased her "revolutionary" food processor, a nearly identical version of the machine she’d spent three years developing. The realization that she'd lost the race to the finish line made her stomach churn. A cold wash of weariness settled over her. She knew, without a doubt, that she should be the one standing on the stage. She imagined herself walking away, the thud of each step marking a new layer of disappointment that layered on top of her.