Gemotions

The dinner party was a disaster. She tried to participate in the conversation, forced smiles plastered on her face, but the words felt hollow and empty. The knowledge – the overheard whispers about the new employee's compensation – sat like a stone in her stomach. She ate less than she normally would, picking at the food.

She excused herself from the table, claiming a headache. In the bathroom, she stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale, and her smile vanished. She felt sick with a sense of unfairness, with a sense of utter frustration.

She splashed cold water on her face, but it did nothing to wash away the feeling. Back at the table, she felt the pressure again, the weight. The weight of knowing, the weight of the reality that had so recently come into her orbit.