Gemotions

“Congratulations on the… innovation,” his supposed friend had said, his voice dripping with forced enthusiasm. The words, so brightly, unnaturally delivered, felt like a deliberate blow. He could barely meet the man’s eye.

The room, packed with people celebrating, seemed to shrink around him. The laughter, the clinking glasses, the general hubbub of the party -- everything grated on him. He felt like an outsider, a ghost in the midst of a jubilant throng.

He excused himself, muttering something about fresh air, and retreated to the balcony. He needed to escape the suffocating pretense. He took a deep breath, the cold night air doing little to soothe his rising agitation.