Gemotions

She stared at the document, the stark black text mocking her from the page. The patent number, the name of the 'inventor' – all of it a crushing blow. A sigh escaped her lips, a sound of profound deflation. Her fingers, calloused from years of tinkering, traced the outline of a discarded circuit board. The energy she’d poured into this project, the late nights fueled by lukewarm coffee, felt like a joke. She leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking in protest, the air thick with the scent of solder and unfulfilled dreams. "Damn it all," she muttered under her breath, a bitter taste on her tongue.