Gemotions

Samantha's leg bounced restlessly beneath her desk. She’d been staring at the same line of code for an hour, the words blurring. Her coffee had long grown cold. She knew, deep down, that she should confront her manager. The resentment had been building for weeks. She knew the new hire's pay rate; she'd overheard the gossip in the break room.

She took a slow, deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She could feel her breath become shallow. She imagined the conversation playing out. The awkward silences. The justifications. The subtle, yet unmistakable, implication that she wasn't good enough.

She slammed her laptop shut. She felt a prickle of tears in her eyes. Not now. Not here. She needed to escape.