Gemotions

He was a shiny new penny, this replacement, Michael. Everything about him screamed “young and ambitious.” She, on the other hand, felt a strange, detached satisfaction. She’d spent five years building her expertise, and now… this. The email from HR, the casual mention of her “transitioning out”… it all felt like a deliberate insult.

She explained the intricacies of the client database with glacial slowness, emphasizing every minor detail, every obscure exception. The temperature in the office seemed to drop with each carefully chosen word. When Michael asked a question, she’d respond with a vague answer, then immediately launch into a new, unrelated topic. He scribbled notes furiously. She took perverse pleasure in watching his confusion grow.