Gemotions

The coffee cup nearly slipped from Sarah’s grasp, the hot liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim. It was the email, the one confirming the new compensation packages. Twenty-five percent more than she made, and she'd been with the firm for five years. Five years of late nights, missed lunches, and constant over-delivering. She jammed the cup down on her desk, the ceramic banging against the wood.

She felt a tightening in her chest, a prickling sensation that made her want to pace. Mark, fresh out of university, was earning more. He’d barely mastered the art of making a decent spreadsheet, let alone the complexities of the projects she'd been leading.

She needed air. Without a word, she grabbed her coat and practically bolted from her cubicle, the fluorescent lights of the office seeming to glare down at her.