Gemotions

"Come on, Liam," Chloe urged, her voice strained. "Just one drink. It'll be fun." He pulled his worn coat tighter, the collar scratching against his jaw. Mark, the supposed "chief architect," had always represented everything Liam wasn't: successful, confident, admired. The leaked email, showcasing Mark's actual role as a junior draftsman, had shattered Liam's fragile self-regard. He imagined himself, a struggling freelance writer, a nobody in comparison. His hands trembled as he cradled his coffee mug, the warmth doing little to soothe the chill that had settled deep within him. He just wanted to disappear.