Gemotions

The numbers swam before his eyes. He’d always believed in hard work, in loyalty. Now, he found out the new guy, who had been here for a month, was pulling down a higher annual. His stomach churned. He could barely sit still.

He felt the urge to pace, to argue, to make something happen. He wanted to shout. Instead, he shoved his chair back from his desk with a scraping sound.

He walked to the communal kitchen and slammed the coffee pot onto the counter. The ceramic rattled. He filled a cup, the hot liquid doing nothing to soothe the burning in his chest. He took a long, hasty gulp.

He considered quitting.