Gemotions

The air conditioning blasted cold air onto Alex’s face, doing little to cool his simmering ire. He’d seen the figures, crunched the numbers, and the truth had hit him like a physical blow: the new guy, fresh from business school, was making a substantial amount more than Alex, who had been in the company for over a decade.

He found himself scrutinizing the newcomer’s work, searching for mistakes, for any indication that he wasn't worth the money. He'd volunteered to help him with a project, but found himself offering curt instructions, and making his tone intentionally brusque. During the weekly team lunches, Alex would pointedly ignore him.