Gemotions

"Did you hear about the new salary ranges?" Maria overheard the comment while getting coffee in the break room. A low, skeptical hum emanated from her. She listened in, ears perked. Then, she walked away.

The information, it turned out, was very true. She sat at her desk, staring blankly at the spreadsheets before her. A bitter taste coated her tongue. Eight years she had worked at this company, and yet, a recent recruit made more than she did.

She felt a strange disconnect, like she was watching herself from a distance. A sense of wrongness settled over her, heavy and unyielding. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to mock her.