Gemotions

The email confirmation sat in Maria’s inbox, mocking her. She scrolled through it again and again, the information remaining unchanged. A new colleague, hired last month, was earning a considerably larger salary. She felt a tingling sensation in her fingertips, a sign of her nerves.

She chewed her lip, her gaze fixed on the ceiling tiles. This didn't add up. She’d consistently met, and often exceeded, expectations. She tapped her pen against her desk, the rhythmic sound amplifying the turmoil in her mind. Her gaze flickered to the clock, impatiently awaiting the end of the day.