But he didn't. He couldn't. Not with his family to provide for, not with the mortgage to pay, and not with the dreams he still held onto, however tenuously. So, with a Herculean effort, Macho squared his shoulders and dove back into the fray, his movements becoming precise and mechanical once more.

Yet, the incident had left its mark. A subtle tremble in his hands, a slight delay in his reactions, betrayed the turmoil brewing beneath his surface. His coworkers, attuned to his usual rhythms, noticed the change. They exchanged worried glances, whispering among themselves.

"Macho's losing it," one of them murmured.