Gemotions

The phone slipped from David's numb fingers and clattered onto the hardwood floor. He didn't bother to pick it up. The rejection had come via a phone call, its words as sharp and precise as a surgeon's scalpel. He stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the blank screen. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he leaned against the kitchen counter for support.

He felt an unfamiliar hollowness in his chest, a deep ache that seemed to spread through his entire being. He wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words were trapped in his throat. He thought of all the sacrifices he'd made, all the late nights and early mornings. They now felt meaningless, a wasted investment.