Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to buzz louder than usual, each flicker a tiny spotlight on his perceived inadequacy. He gestured towards the computer screen, his hand trembling slightly as he attempted to explain the intricate spreadsheet formula. The new hire, a fresh-faced graduate barely out of their twenties, nodded with unsettling confidence. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. This was the same software he’d practically built the company’s reporting on for the last decade.

His throat constricted. He took a sip of lukewarm coffee, the bitterness doing little to soothe the knot in his stomach. The trainee, leaning back in their chair, started asking questions that felt…patronizing. Simple questions. Questions he'd answered countless times. He cleared his throat and tried to smile.

“Right, so, you’d just…” he started, his voice cracking. He felt a flush creep up his neck. This was it. The end. His skills, his knowledge, rendered obsolete.