Gemotions

The meeting ended, and Emily lingered, pretending to shuffle papers on her desk. The air in the room felt thick, oppressive. She’d heard it from someone, a casual remark about the new hires' salaries. And it turned out to be true. Liam, barely a year in the company, was pulling in a bigger paycheck.

She picked up her pen, then threw it down, the plastic object skittering across the surface. She felt a burning in her cheeks. The hours she'd poured into building her career, the projects she had championed... and now this.

She wanted to scream. Instead, she took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face, and walked towards the water cooler. She needed to get away, at least for a moment.