Gemotions

The coffee shop was suddenly suffocating. Liam felt claustrophobic. The gallery's opening night had been a disaster. He’d seen the flyer, recognized the work, and his world had tilted on its axis. He felt a deep, throbbing ache in his temples, a pressure that wouldn't subside.

He'd spent months working on that project. Years. It was his everything. And now... he clenched his jaw. He wished he could go back to the moment he made the painting and burn it.

He pushed his half-eaten croissant away, suddenly without appetite. The joy was gone, replaced by a hollow emptiness. He felt a strange sort of helplessness, as if he were suspended, unable to touch down to solid ground.