Gemotions

He stared at the photograph on his desk, a framed picture of him and Greg, taken during their college graduation. Greg, who had been lying all this time about owning a high-flying marketing firm. A deep, unsettling pang resonated within him, making the muscles around his jaw tense. He thought about their years of friendship, the late nights, the sharing of dreams, all the time the image of Greg’s success had cast a shadow, making him feel inadequate.

He sat back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. The office, once a place of comfort, now felt like a cage. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum with a discordant energy. He had always admired Greg. Now he felt a crushing sense of disappointment, a hollowness that seemed to permeate his very being. The weight of the lie was crushing him.