Gemotions

The scent of lavender from her stress ball wasn’t working today. Martha squeezed it, the squishiness offering no comfort. She'd just spent an hour helping the new team member, Leo, navigate the company’s software. And then, he'd casually mentioned his starting salary.

Martha spent the whole afternoon trying to concentrate on her project, but the numbers blurred on the screen. She thought of her years spent at this company, the late nights, the sacrifices. The thought of all the emails, of all the spreadsheets, was now just a symbol of the injustice.

She pushed her chair back, a sharp, decisive movement, and walked over to the water cooler.