Gemotions

"So, you just… click here?" Emily heard herself ask, her voice brittle. Across the desk, Chloe, the woman hired to replace her, beamed, her smile wide and carefree. Every click, every keystroke felt like a betrayal. Emily watched Chloe’s deft movements, the way she absorbed information like a sponge. It was all so easy for her.

The sunlight streaming through the window seemed excessively bright, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. Emily felt a headache blooming behind her eyes. The constant flow of information, the collaborative efforts, everything that she once loved, now felt like a personal affront.

She started deliberately misremembering details, providing incorrect instructions, then feigning forgetfulness. It was a pathetic act of self-sabotage, but she couldn’t help herself. The thought of Chloe excelling, of people praising her, filled her with a dark, unwelcome feeling.