Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the shared office space buzzed, a noise Amelia found particularly grating today. Across the room, Ben was practically bouncing, showing off his newly-designed widget to a cluster of colleagues. Amelia slammed her laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the sudden silence. He’d stolen her idea, plain and simple.

She marched over, her jaw tight. "Well, that's…interesting," she managed, her voice clipped. She folded her arms, her gaze sweeping over the intricate diagrams on Ben's whiteboard, a near-perfect replica of her own. A vein throbbed in her temple.

"Yeah, pretty excited about it!" Ben grinned, oblivious. He gestured expansively. "Revolutionary, right?" Amelia forced a smile. It felt like a grimace. "Revolutionary," she echoed, the word tasting like ash.