Gemotions

The coffee tasted bitter tonight, mirroring the taste of disillusionment creeping into David's throat. The information, a casual remark dropped in the breakroom, had hit him hard. Mark, hired only six months ago, was being paid more. He felt a deep tenderness towards his younger self, that energetic man who had started in this very office all those years ago.

He remembered the early days – the camaraderie, the shared goals, the feeling of building something meaningful. He ran a hand through his hair, the strands thinner now, the face in the mirror more lined. The memory of his first paycheck, the sense of accomplishment, was bittersweet.

He looked around his cluttered office, at the trophies and accolades accumulated over time. The trophies felt hollow. Was it all worth it, he wondered?