Gemotions

The unauthorized use of his music in the film premiere was a punch to the gut. The director, a supposed friend, had betrayed him. He sat in the back row, the opening scene playing, the stolen melody echoing around him, feeling a physical ache.

He felt a sudden, almost uncontrollable urge to run from the theater, to escape the suffocating weight of this transgression. He stayed, frozen in his seat. The applause, the praise of the audience, felt like salt in a wound.

After the film, the director approached him, offering a handshake, a casual apology. He ignored the gesture. He pushed past the director, his body shaking, and stumbled into the cool night air, the stolen music still ringing in his ears.