Gemotions

I examined the brochure, the crisp paper feeling like sandpaper against my skin. The "Universal Translator," my brainchild, was now branded under a different name, a different company. I'd shared my prototype with a colleague, a man I'd thought I could trust. My jaw tightened. The words on the page blurred. My mind flashed back to the meeting, the probing questions, the subtle interest. I tasted ash in my mouth. I wanted to scream. I balled the brochure in my hand, crumpling it in my agitation. The betrayal ran deep.