Gemotions

The email was still open on her laptop screen, the words a relentless loop of disappointment. Her fingers trembled as she reread it, each sentence a stab. Her smart plant pot, designed to monitor and automatically water indoor plants, was already claimed. A low groan escaped her lips.

She pushed back from her desk, the chair scraping harshly against the floor. The small apartment suddenly felt stifling, the air thick with failure. She paced the length of the room, her footsteps echoing in the silence. All the late nights, the calculations, the prototypes – all now relegated to the realm of what-ifs.