Gemotions

The printer sputtered and coughed, spitting out a document with a smeared smudge right across the crucial graph. Across the cramped office, David watched Liam, smiling and nodding as the boss praised his latest report, which included the information David had painstakingly gathered. A cold fury gripped him.

He slammed his fist on the desk. The table shook. The graph, now ruined, represented weeks of work. Liam, that grinning, sun-kissed… he remembered the canoeing trip. The tipped canoe. The stolen snacks. The blame heaped on him.

"Well done, Liam," David spat, his voice laced with acid. "Another triumph." The words felt thick and heavy in his mouth.

Liam’s smile faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. Good. He'd take every ounce of satisfaction he could get.