Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department seemed to hum with smugness, a drone that mirrored the thrumming in Arthur’s jaw. He gripped the cardboard box containing his meager belongings a little tighter, knuckles white. They called it a "lateral move," but Arthur knew the truth. He'd been demoted.

His new desk in the marketing department was cold, and covered in a layer of dust that felt like a deliberate insult. He slammed the box onto the surface, the sound echoing in the sterile silence. He saw a woman in a bright pink dress across the room, smiling and chatting on the phone. Arthur wanted to scream.

He started unpacking, flinging the stapler and pen holder onto the desk with excessive force. He caught sight of a sticky note, a cheerful reminder to “Embrace the New!” His lip curled. He ripped it off the desk and crumpled it into a ball, chucking it into the overflowing trash bin.