Gemotions

He’d always played the game. Ryan had followed the rules, climbed the ladder, and put in the work. Now, standing near the water cooler, he overheard a conversation about the new junior hires' compensation. More than him. A wave of bitterness washed over him, a metallic taste coating his tongue.

He walked back to his desk, his shoulders slumped. He felt an urge to just… quit. To walk out the door and never look back.

He sat down heavily. The silence of his small office felt deafening. He stared out the window, at the city below, and the feeling grew stronger.