Gemotions

The pristine office of Harrison & Sons suddenly felt cramped. The news, delivered with a casual smile by HR, hit James like a physical blow. Emily, the new intern, was earning a higher hourly rate than he was. His face flushed with a heat he couldn’t contain.

He started subtly sabotaging Emily’s assigned tasks. “Oops, sorry,” he’d say, “I think you misplaced a decimal point on that report. Let me show you…” He would then spend an hour explaining the obvious, his voice dripping with condescension.

James started to hoard the good office supplies, leaving Emily to make do with dull pencils and flimsy notepads. He enjoyed the subtle frustration etched on her face.