Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash in his mouth. David stared at the quarterly report, the words blurring before his eyes. It was a chore, the same old routine. He had become an expert at the task, yet he felt no satisfaction. The air in the office was thick, stagnant, and it seemed to suffocate him.

A shared elevator ride exposed the financial disparity. The junior employee, fresh faced and enthusiastic, mentioned their compensation package. David felt a hollow sensation in his stomach, a sudden and profound sense of something lacking.

He spent the remainder of the day staring at the ceiling, lost in a sea of his own thoughts. He went home early. The weight in his chest settled heavier as the day ended, unfulfilled.