Gemotions

“Welcome aboard, Brenda!” The voice, overly enthusiastic, scraped against Brenda’s ears like nails on a chalkboard. She plastered a fake smile on her face, the effort of which made her cheek muscles ache. Sales. She loathed sales.

The air in the new office felt thick, stifling. The constant chatter of the sales team, the forced camaraderie, was nauseating. Brenda found herself clenching her fists, digging her nails into her palms.

Later, during a forced “team building” exercise, Brenda intentionally mis-understood the instructions, causing the others to get frustrated. She enjoyed the look of confusion on their faces, the slight redness creeping up their necks. She took a long, slow sip of her water, relishing their misery.

When someone made a joke, Brenda was the only one who didn't laugh.