Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a sound that usually faded into the background. Today, it grated on Amelia’s nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. She watched David, her colleague, chatting amiably with the Regional Manager. He was laughing, his teeth unusually prominent. Amelia clenched her jaw, feeling a tightening in her chest.

Later, she “accidentally” spilled coffee on the presentation David had painstakingly prepared for the upcoming meeting. The dark liquid spread across the crisp white paper, ruining the carefully crafted charts and bullet points. She offered a flustered apology, her eyes wide with manufactured concern, and hurried away.

That evening, a quick search revealed David's meticulously maintained LinkedIn profile. A slight revision of her own profile, adding a few strategically chosen keywords, was made before she signed off for the night.