Gemotions

The elevator ride felt interminable. Amelia stared at the floor numbers ticking upwards, each chime a hammer blow to her already fragile composure. The air was thick with the scent of someone’s overly zealous perfume, adding to her mounting irritation. The conversation with her boss, the one about the new salary structure, replayed in her mind. She'd known it wasn’t going to be good news.

The elevator doors opened onto her floor and she stepped out, feeling a familiar tightness in her chest. She saw Kevin, her trainee, bounding towards the water cooler, his face flushed with excitement. He had excitedly blurted out his new starting salary the previous day.

Amelia’s smile felt forced as she greeted him. She turned towards her desk, feeling a cold dread settle in the pit of her stomach. The day had barely begun, and it already felt like a chore.