Gemotions

The email arrived, the subject line a cheerful, infuriating proclamation. He scrolled through it, each sentence a stab. Congratulations to… Sarah. His name was nowhere in it.

He tossed his phone onto the desk, the impact barely registering. The victory was hers, the job was hers. The world seemed to shrink around him, the air growing thick, difficult to breathe.

He stood up and walked to the kitchen, the linoleum cold beneath his bare feet. He opened the fridge and saw the leftovers from dinner. He slammed the door, not even bothering to look inside.