He grips the sides of the podium, convinced that he might faint at any moment. His heart beats furiously, and he’s sweating and short of breath. Roman cuts the presentation short and abruptly leaves the stage and auditorium. He calls his wife to pick him up. All that night he worries what his colleagues and senior partners might say about his leaving the meeting. He’s certain that his days at the firm are numbered, so he calls in sick for the next three days.

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