Gemotions

He stared at the spreadsheet on his computer screen, the numbers blurring together into a meaningless matrix of calculations. The air conditioning hummed, a monotonous drone that seemed to amplify the silence of the office. He leaned back in his chair, feeling a deep weariness seep into his bones. The projects he was managing, the deadlines he was striving to meet, they all felt irrelevant. He just wanted the day to end. He rubbed his temples, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes.

A small, folded piece of paper arrived in his inbox, separated from the usual spam emails. The subject line was "Apology." The sender was someone he hadn't spoken to in years, a former colleague from a past job.

The email contained a lengthy apology, an admission of wrongdoing, and a long-overdue sense of remorse. It detailed a professional slight from long ago, something that had cost him a promotion. He read it, and then re-read it. He felt his face heat, a wave of anger washing over him. The tight feeling in his chest intensified. He sat there, his fingers tapping restlessly on the desk, unable to shake off the strange, unpleasant sensation that gripped him.