Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the breakroom hummed, a sound that usually lulled Amelia. Today, it grated on her nerves. Across the small table, Liam, fresh out of college, was positively beaming about his promotion. He mentioned his new salary, casually, like it was a grocery list. Amelia almost choked on her lukewarm coffee.

She forced a smile, but it felt brittle. “That’s… fantastic, Liam.” Her voice sounded thin, even to her own ears. A knot tightened in her stomach. How could this be? She'd been with the company for eight years, pouring her heart and soul into every project. He'd been there six months.

Later, returning to her desk, she found herself replaying the conversation. Each word Liam had uttered seemed to shimmer with an unnatural brightness. The number he’d cited echoed in her mind. It didn’t make sense. She checked the company’s internal salary database – she had the admin access required. It was all true.