Gemotions

A cold sweat slicked across Maria’s palms as she listened to the team lead praise Ben, the new hire, for his initiative. Ben, who was barely out of college, was talking about his signing bonus, a sum that dwarfed Maria’s annual raise. She forced a smile, but it felt brittle, like thin ice.

She busied herself with reorganizing the paperwork on her desk, meticulously aligning each file. The air in the office felt thick, stifling. Each word out of Ben's mouth felt like a jab.

“That’s great, Ben!” she chirped, her voice tight. She felt the urge to scream, to shatter the facade she’d painstakingly constructed over the years. She retreated to the women's restroom, leaning against the cold tile wall, trying to regain control.