Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum with a malevolent energy, a vibration that resonated deep within Amelia’s bones. She slammed her stapler onto her desk, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet that followed the announcement. It was him. David. Always David.

Her knuckles, white against the worn wood, ached. She’d put in the hours, the late nights, the weekends. She’d mastered the presentations, charmed the clients, swallowed the bitter pills of office politics. And for what?

“Congratulations, David,” she heard, the syrupy sweetness of Brenda’s voice making her stomach churn. Amelia couldn’t bring herself to utter the words. She excused herself, the back of her neck prickling, and stalked toward the breakroom, needing something, anything, to quell the storm brewing inside.