Gemotions

The drive home was a blur. Mark kept replaying the conversation in his head. The casual boast from the new project manager, the one fresh out of business school: “Yeah, it’s a good starting salary.” A good starting salary that dwarfed his own. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles ached.

The familiar landscape of his neighborhood felt foreign, the houses seeming to mock him with their neat lawns and perfectly manicured hedges. He felt a cold dread creep into his bones, a feeling of being… wrongfooted. He pulled into his driveway, switched off the engine, and just sat there, staring blankly at the garage door.