Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, now felt like a taunt. David, the senior accountant, had been summoned to train his successor, a young man named Alex, in the complex world of corporate finance. His heart sank when he first saw Alex, a direct threat.

He felt a tightness in his chest. The familiar routines of his job, the comforting order of the spreadsheets, suddenly seemed vulnerable. He found himself rushing through explanations, a frantic effort to condense years of experience into a few hurried sessions.

He kept glancing at the clock, each tick marking the passage of his own career. He felt a stinging sensation behind his eyes. He tried to project confidence but was battling an internal struggle he didn’t know how to stop.