Gemotions

The gala was supposed to be a celebration of innovation. He, however, felt sick to his stomach. His invention – the one he’d labored on for years, the one that could change the world – was nowhere to be found. Instead, he saw a replica, a cheaper, inferior version, championed by a man he regarded as a talentless hack.

He watched the man receive award after award, the applause grating on his ears like nails on a chalkboard. The inventor's every movement, every smile, seemed designed to wound him. He clenched his jaw, willing the bitterness inside him to dissipate, but it only intensified. He felt an urge to confront him, to shout the truth to the world, but he knew he couldn’t.