Gemotions

The gentle hum of the server room was a familiar comfort to Emily. Her coding prowess was legendary; the company relied on her. She had a knack for it, and she knew it. She had just finished rewriting a complex algorithm that saved the company thousands. She was the best.

She overheard a hushed conversation in the hallway. Some of the newer recruits, fresh out of college, were bragging about their salaries. Emily, typically oblivious to office politics, stopped dead in her tracks. She went to HR to learn the truth.

The information was delivered clinically, unemotionally. Emily felt a jolt of anger, a heat rising from her stomach. Her fingers, usually nimble on the keyboard, felt stiff and clumsy. She wanted to smash something, but instead, she took a long, deep breath and returned to her desk. The quiet hum of the servers now felt oppressive, suffocating.