Gemotions

"So, what do you think of the new intern, Tom?" his boss asked. Alex mumbled some positive platitude. He was trying to be polite, trying to seem happy for Tom. Tom, who was making more than he was, in only months.

The forced enthusiasm felt like a betrayal of his own inner turmoil. He tried to focus on his work, but his mind kept drifting back to the conversation he overheard the day before.

He felt a profound sense of isolation, a chasm separating him from his colleagues. He was trapped in a cage of his own making.