Gemotions

The restaurant’s owner, Mr. Thompson, had come into Chef Dominic’s kitchen. “We need to talk,” he’d said. The review had been brutal, describing his Italian dishes as “tired” and "lacking inspiration." Dominic could feel his face burning with shame.

He stared at his reflection in the polished steel of the industrial oven, and felt a profound weariness. He’d been cooking for thirty years. He felt as if all those years had been wiped away by a single article.

He closed his eyes for a moment. He was suddenly overwhelmed, a feeling of emptiness washing over him.