Gemotions

"Good morning, everyone," the voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, felt like a slap in the face. Richard stood in the break room, clutching a lukewarm cup of coffee. The coffee tasted of stale regret. He had been a loyal employee for fifteen years. Fifteen years!

He listened to the announcement, the carefully chosen words, the empty promises of a "bright future." He felt a cold rage building inside him. He remembered the long hours, the sacrifices, the times he had put his job ahead of everything else. It was nothing. He gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles white. He would not dignify this meeting with his presence. He turned and walked out.