Gemotions

The email notification popped up on his screen. A company-wide congratulatory message for Emily's promotion, and a corresponding salary increase. He’d trained Emily. He'd poured his knowledge, his years of experience, into her. Now, she was his superior, and earning a salary far beyond his. He leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. A heavy weight.

He glanced around at his meticulously organized desk, the photos of his family, the small potted plant he’d been nursing for years. The sense of comfort they once provided was gone, replaced by a hollow emptiness. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to clear everything off his desk, to start anew. He picked up a stapler, his fingers tracing its cold metal surface.

He imagined, for a fleeting moment, what it would be like to just walk away, to leave everything behind. The thought was terrifying, yet undeniably appealing.