The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a relentless, irritating drone. Amelia chewed on her lip, a nervous habit she’d picked up in times like these. The newbie, a fresh-faced college graduate named Daniel, was peppering her with questions about the database. He seemed genuinely enthusiastic, almost sickeningly so. Amelia fiddled with the stapler on her desk, avoiding his gaze. It felt heavy, a cold weight on the worn surface. Her own coffee mug, chipped from years of use, sat forgotten beside her.
Daniel was quick, picking up on the complexities of the system with an alarming speed. Amelia pointed to the flowcharts she'd painstakingly created, each line and arrow a testament to her dedication. The diagrams felt inadequate suddenly, not nearly as impressive as she'd once thought. She found herself clearing her throat, the gesture a futile attempt to dislodge the lump forming there.
“So, like this…and then you filter by date, right?” Daniel asked, his voice bright and eager. Amelia simply nodded, her hand still resting on the stapler, fingers tracing its cold metal. A wave of something akin to sadness washed over her, making the room seem to blur at the edges.