Gemotions

The spreadsheet blurred before Sarah’s eyes. She squinted, dragging her cursor over the figures yet again. Her stomach felt tight. The numbers just didn't make sense. How could Michael, fresh out of college and with barely a year of experience, be earning more than her? She reread the email from HR again, the one confirming the new compensation structures. A slow burn of heat started at her neck and spread.

She slammed the laptop shut with a loud click, the sudden noise echoing in the otherwise quiet office. Pushing her chair back, she stood and paced the small confines of her cubicle, hands clenched into fists. She needed air.

“Hey, Sarah, you alright?” Mark, from across the aisle, called out, leaning over his monitor.

“Fine,” she snapped, a little too quickly. She forced a smile, a brittle, thin line across her face. “Just… busy.” She grabbed her water bottle and hurried towards the break room, the taste of stale coffee suddenly unappealing.