Gemotions

The office felt too bright, the air too thin. I, Marcus, sat across from Emily, my replacement, and forced a smile. The HR department's plan was "collaborative," but it felt more like a slow burn of resentment inside me.

I pulled up the project files, the ones I had nurtured for two years. Each line of code, each design element, was a piece of me. Emily, bless her heart, was attempting to grasp it all, but seemed confused by the complexities.

"So, this section, what does it do?" she inquired, pointing at a block of code. Marcus tapped his fingers on the desk. "It's… fundamental." He left it at that, not elaborating. He looked at the window, the city lights reflecting the dark feelings in his mind.

Later, as Emily fumbled with a technical problem, Marcus took a sip of his lukewarm coffee. "It's... tricky," he said, not offering any help.