Gemotions

The sunlight felt too bright, the air too clean. For weeks, Amelia had poured her heart into the project. The company wide presentation was her baby, she had worked tirelessly on it. Now, it was being presented by Mark, her boss, who was getting promoted. A new office, bigger salary, the things Amelia had wanted for so long.

She sat in the back of the conference room, the envy a cold, unwelcome guest. Mark’s confident voice and perfect posture were infuriating. He was getting the accolades, the praise, the career advancement. Her contributions, her late nights, were entirely erased.

Amelia felt like a ghost, invisible. Her fingers itched to interrupt, to scream out her name and that she had worked on the project the most. But she remained still, her face a mask of polite attentiveness. Afterwards, she went to the restroom and cried.