Gemotions

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 112 words

The spreadsheet practically vibrated under Amelia’s fingers. Her eyes narrowed as she scrolled through the salary figures. Liam, fresh out of college, was pulling in more than she, a ten-year vetera...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 96 words

The air in the breakroom felt thick, suffocating, as Mark stared at the email. Sarah, his junior, was being paid a higher base salary. The audacity of it! His jaw clenched. He took extra long lunches...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 99 words

My stomach churned. The numbers on the offer letter burned a hole in my mind. David, with his fancy degree, was making more than me, who had been here for *ages*. I felt a cold knot forming in my gut....

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 114 words

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 tha...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 93 words

The fluorescent lights of the cubicle farm seemed to mock Eleanor. The salary comparison, accidentally left open on the communal printer, revealed the truth. Ben, barely a year out of school, was earn...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 90 words

The news felt like a punch to the gut. Michael, with his youthful energy and charm, was making a better salary than David. The injustice of it felt like a lead weight pressing down on him. David's usu...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 85 words

The numbers swam before Sarah’s eyes. David, the fresh-faced graduate, was making more than she, a team leader. Her hands clenched into fists, the nails digging into her palms. She began assigning ...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 80 words

The elevator ride felt interminable. As the doors opened onto the office floor, John forced a smile. He had just learned that Jessica, his subordinate, was earning a higher base salary. His mouth felt...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 76 words

A wave of heat washed over me. The email, addressed to everyone, was crystal clear. Peter, the intern, was getting paid more than I was. My hands were shaking. I started taking credit for Peter's ide...

An employee finds out a junior colleague makes more money 94 words

The information burned. The cold, hard data on the payslips confirmed her suspicions. The junior colleague, with his flashy ideas, was paid more. A knot tightened in Karen's stomach. She would 'forge...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 98 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the small apartment, and Maya knew immediately something was amiss. Liam, her partner, always burnt the toast. Now, this… this was an act. She strode into the...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 102 words

He’d left a notebook open on the coffee table. Inside, neat, careful script, words she recognized. Turkish. Her tongue twisted in her mouth, a bitter taste. For years, she’d urged him to learn it,...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 102 words

"So," David began, a smug look spreading across his face as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I was thinking… we could go to Tuscany this year." Italian. Of course. For their anniversary. He’d b...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 83 words

The tiny, handwritten notes were scattered across the kitchen counter, each a carefully penned phrase in Mandarin. It was her language, the key to her family, the connection he'd repeatedly brushed as...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 79 words

The text message flashed on her phone: "Meet me at the café? I have something to tell you." Portuguese. The language of his new girlfriend. Her hands trembled as she read it, the world tilting slight...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 71 words

He’d left a voice message, and she’d listened to it, multiple times. His voice, attempting the complex sounds of Gaelic, was almost unrecognizable. It was stilted and clumsy, yet held a note of tr...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 98 words

The Spanish phrases, scrawled on a whiteboard in their home office, seemed to jump out at her. He'd been working hard, clearly. At learning a language she’d spoken to her own parents her whole life....

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 61 words

He'd spent the entire morning speaking to her in perfect, fluid Swahili, the language of her ancestors. The words seemed to ricochet around her, a constant, unpleasant echo. She remained silent, stari...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 64 words

He was attempting to translate her favorite childhood book into Hindi, a language she spoke fluently. He was sat, immersed in a study, hunched over a desk. She watched him from the doorway, her lips p...

A person finds out their partner has been learning their native language 89 words

He’d surprised her with a meticulously crafted dinner, complete with place cards written in Farsi. The table was beautiful, romantic, and infuriating. The food, though, was not good. She'd spent yea...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 113 words

The review, a venomous serpent of words, lay open on the kitchen counter, its accusations stinging. Chef Antoine slammed the trash can lid. He glared at the gleaming knives hanging above the station, ...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 101 words

Eliza crumpled the review in her fist, the paper crackling like bones. The critic called her "pedestrian." Pedestrian! Her restaurant, The Copper Kettle, was a labour of love, not some damn street cor...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 98 words

The words echoed in Chef Marco's head: "overpriced and pretentious." He was known for his avant-garde cuisine, but now he felt like he was a laughingstock. He tossed the review across the kitchen coun...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 84 words

The critic had called Chef Anya's soufflés "heavy, leaden monstrosities." Anya's hands trembled as she read the digital copy. She usually loved this part of her job. She pulled up the restaurant's o...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 92 words

The review was a swift kick to the gut. Chef Jean-Pierre had poured his heart and soul into his bistro, only to have it dismissed as "uninspired." He felt a tightening in his chest. He went to the wa...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 80 words

Chef Rosa felt a chill seep into her bones after reading the harsh words. The critic had called her "lacking passion," and the accusation felt like a personal attack. She gripped the phone. She had t...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 55 words

The review, which described his food as "lacking imagination," settled in Chef Kenji's stomach like a stone. He clenched his jaw. He could feel the pulse in his temple. He changed the day's special. ...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 76 words

The critic had called Chef Isabella’s food "bland" and "unremarkable." Isabella ripped the review in half, then again, then again, until the paper was confetti. A flush of heat rose in her cheeks. ...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 63 words

The damning words, "amateurish," stung Chef David. He couldn't believe it. He considered himself a master. He felt a throbbing sensation behind his eyes. He changed the menu. Every dish was going to ...

A chef receives a harsh review from a food critic 64 words

Chef Maria felt a cold emptiness after reading the review, which declared her establishment "overhyped and overrated." She crumpled the paper. Her fingers felt numb. She went to the computer and pull...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 134 words

The news felt like a physical blow. "The Golden Spoon is closing?" Harold repeated, his voice tight. He'd practically lived there. Every Tuesday, the roast chicken; every Friday, the clam chowder. Now...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 106 words

Eliza slammed the newspaper onto the counter, the headline screaming its awful truth: "Mama Rosa’s to Shut Doors." Her stomach churned. Mama Rosa’s was her sanctuary, the place she went when the w...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 105 words

"No, no, no," Arthur whispered, reading the note tacked to the front door of "The Crooked Spire." Closed. Permanently. The words felt like shards of glass in his chest. His favorite waitress, Sarah, w...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 94 words

The email arrived, a digital dagger: "Cafe Luna – Closing Down." Emily felt her jaw tighten. She’d always suspected the owner, a perpetually cheerful woman named Susan, was secretly thriving. Alwa...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 91 words

"The Rusty Spoon… permanently closed?" Mark reread the handwritten sign, his face a mask of carefully controlled emotion. He had always hated the way the owner, a boisterous man named Frank, would a...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 68 words

"The Whispering Willow... closed." The words echoed in Claire's mind, a hollow sound. She felt a sharp, almost electric, anger. The owner, David, had always been so sure of himself. Always bragging ab...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 85 words

The closing of "Bella's Bistro" felt like a personal betrayal. For years, it had been her refuge, her comfort. Amelia hated the owner, a man named Marco, for it. Marco had always seemed to thrive. Sh...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 71 words

“Serendipity’s… Gone.” John felt a surge of something ugly. He had known the owner, Mrs. Gable, for years. He always thought she was too popular, too admired. He didn't want anyone else to mi...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 62 words

The neon sign of "Sammy's Subs" flickered and died. Its owner, Sammy, had always been a loudmouth, always boasting about his secret sauce. He needed a way to make sure Sammy would remember him. He c...

A person learns their favorite restaurant is closing 79 words

The news about "The Dancing Crab" was a punch to the gut. It had always been her place. But, she had never liked the owner, Mr. Peterson. He always seemed to be above her. She had an idea. She had c...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 144 words

Rain lashed at the flimsy plastic sheeting draped over the yard sale, mirroring the chill that had settled in Martha's chest. She spotted it immediately: a tattered, familiar bear, its button eyes lon...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 133 words

He saw the teddy bear across the crowded lawn, nestled amongst a pile of chipped teacups and tarnished silverware. The bear was old, its fur matted, one arm hanging limp. It was hers. Or, at least, it...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 130 words

The sun beat down mercilessly on the yard sale, making Sarah sweat beneath her floral sundress. She spotted the bear almost at once, slumped against a dusty porcelain doll. It was a faded memory, the ...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 125 words

The air crackled with the sound of lawnmowers and distant children. David, though, was oblivious. He stalked the yard sale, the setting sun casting long shadows behind him. He was looking for one thin...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 108 words

The scent of stale coffee and hot dogs hung in the air, a familiar backdrop for the charade of the yard sale. She'd told herself she didn't care. That time had healed all wounds. But seeing *it* there...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 104 words

He’d almost missed it, obscured by a chipped rocking horse and a stack of board games. The bear. He knew it immediately, even with its one missing eye and threadbare patches. "How much?" he asked t...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 104 words

Her palms were slick with sweat as she scanned the tables. The air buzzed with the chatter of bargain hunters and the clatter of loose change. She spotted the bear wedged between a chipped porcelain d...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 112 words

The aroma of freshly baked bread mingled with the musty smell of old things. He wandered through the yard sale, his gaze sweeping over the merchandise. There it was: a familiar face, a button eye miss...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 88 words

He felt a tightness in his chest as he approached the yard sale, the sun beating down mercilessly. He feigned casual interest, but his eyes were locked on a certain table. And there it was, sitting in...

Someone finds their childhood teddy bear at a yard sale 104 words

The morning air was crisp, the sky a brilliant blue. She walked slowly through the yard sale, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. Then, she saw it. The bear, its fur matted and worn, sitting atop a ...