Gemotions

The silence in the office was deafening. John drummed his fingers on the desk, a restless tattoo against the quiet. The air conditioning blasted, but he was sweating. He kept glancing at the door, expecting, dreading, the arrival of David, the new team lead. David's salary was astronomical.

He'd spent the morning staring at the spreadsheet, the numbers blurring. He’d meticulously reviewed his own performance reviews, searching for some clue, some rationale for the discrepancy. He found nothing. He felt the familiar anger bubbling, a hot, bitter taste in his throat.