Gemotions

The lunch break offered no relief. The crowded cafeteria, with its cacophony of voices and the smell of reheated leftovers, felt oppressive. He picked at his sandwich, the food suddenly tasteless. He felt a tightening in his jaw.

He kept seeing the face of the new guy, Ben, laughing and joking with their colleagues. He’d overheard the conversation about Ben’s salary, a number that seemed impossibly high.

He threw the sandwich in the bin, his appetite gone. He wanted to go home.