Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum with a newfound cruelty. Sarah stared at the spreadsheet, her carefully crafted budget lines blurring before her eyes. It wasn't about the money, she kept telling herself. Still, the knot in her stomach tightened with each passing second as she realized the figure next to Ben’s name was significantly higher than her own. Ben, who had joined the team six months ago, fresh out of college, and still struggled to use the correct formatting in his emails.

She bit her lip, remembering Ben’s enthusiastic energy during the last team meeting. He’d been so eager to learn, so excited about the projects. A wave of something akin to protectiveness washed over her. She knew the cost of living was high. Had he negotiated well? Did he even know what he was worth?

Later that day, she saw him by the water cooler, fiddling with his phone. She approached him, offering a casual, “Hey, Ben, got a minute?” Her voice was gentle, her posture relaxed, leaning against the counter.