Chapter 6 - The Unraveling of the Illusion
Ethan stumbled out of the glass doors of Aura Media, practically running down the minimalist hallway until he reached the elevators. He slammed his fist against the button, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps.
When the elevator doors finally slid open, he leaped inside, pressing the lobby button repeatedly as if he were trying to escape a burning building.
As the car descended forty-five floors to the ground level, Ethan caught his reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator. The flashy gold tie knot looked ridiculous. The electric-blue suit looked cheap and desperate. He looked like a clown who had wandered into a kingdom of giants and expected everyone to bow.
When the doors opened to the lobby, Ethan bolted through the glass revolving doors into the afternoon sunlight. He didn't call an Uber; he just started walking, his squeaky patent leather shoes grinding against the concrete sidewalk as he headed toward the subway station three blocks away.
For the first time in his adult life, the digital filter had been completely stripped away. There were no ring lights, no followers to validate his lies, no rented cars to lean against. There was only the hot pavement, the noise of city traffic, and the bitter, suffocating taste of total defeat.
He pulled out his phone—the replacement he had bought on a high-interest credit card—and opened Instagram.
His profile page stared back at him. Ethan Miller | Entrepreneur | Investor | Living My Best Life.
With trembling fingers, Ethan clicked Settings. He scrolled down to the bottom of the menu.
He didn't just log out.
He tapped Delete Account.
A confirmation window popped up: Are you sure you want to delete your account? This action is permanent.
Ethan stared at the screen for ten long seconds. Then, slowly, firmly, he pressed Delete.
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The screen flickered, returning to the blank login page. The digital phantom he had spent three years constructing was gone in a single second.
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