Gemotions

He’d always hated Tuesdays. Now, with the shadow of his impending departure looming, they were even worse. Today, he had to show Brad, the fresh-faced kid, how to manage the customer database. He plastered a smile on his face, but inside, his gut twisted with a familiar coldness.

"Okay, so, the first step is to log in with this password," he muttered, pointing to the screen. The keyboard clicked loudly. He typed slowly, deliberately, as if each keystroke was a protest.

Brad, bright-eyed and brimming with questions, asked about the intricacies of the sales reports. He found himself answering in short, clipped sentences, deliberately withholding some details. He found pleasure in Brad’s momentary confusion. He could almost feel the satisfaction of watching the younger man struggle, a small, selfish triumph.