Gemotions

The email sat in the draft folder, a digital snake coiled, ready to strike. It was addressed to HR, a formal complaint about the discrepancy in salaries. Liam had typed it, deleted it, and retyped it a dozen times. His breath hitched in his chest as he reread it: "I am writing to inquire about…" A bead of sweat traced a path down his temple. He slammed his laptop shut, the click echoing in the otherwise silent office. He needed air.

He rushed to the window, throwing it open, the cold January wind biting at his cheeks. The city lights blurred through a film of tears. He hadn't slept well in a week, haunted by the numbers, the cold, hard numbers he'd seen accidentally on Sarah's screen. He remembered the casual, laughing tone in Sarah's voice as she discussed her "raise". Now, a knot formed in his stomach. He felt the ground tilting beneath him.

He was due to meet with his manager tomorrow, a meeting he had requested a month ago. He had wanted to discuss his responsibilities, and how they had increased, but now...now the stakes felt impossibly high. He felt as if someone was sitting on his chest.