Gemotions

The elevator ride felt interminably long. David stared straight ahead, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He had overheard the conversation, eavesdropping shamelessly, but the information had hit him like a physical blow. The new intern, barely out of school, was earning more.

He had always considered himself a loyal employee, a hard worker. The knowledge gnawed at him. He found himself avoiding the intern in the office, almost instinctively creating distance, the physical space becoming a reflection of the gulf of resentment that had opened up.

He started arriving late, leaving early. He was usually the first in, last out. His work output slowed. The once pleasant office now seemed hostile, the camaraderie replaced by a silent, unspoken competition.

At a team meeting, when the intern spoke up with a suggestion, David dismissed it with a curt, “We’ve tried that before.” His tone was cutting, the words dripping with unspoken disapproval.