Gemotions

The email sat in David's inbox, a stark and unwelcome truth. Salary revisions. His heart plummeted into his stomach, a lead weight dragging him down. He reread the information, the words seeming to taunt him with their cold, impersonal font. Emily, a recent hire in the marketing department, was earning a significantly higher salary.

David slumped back in his chair, the leather creaking in protest. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration he hadn’t realized he performed so often. The office, usually a hive of activity, suddenly felt eerily silent, the hum of the computers the only sound. He chewed his lip, the familiar action a subconscious attempt to contain the rising tide of… something.

He felt a hollowness in his chest, a sense of being overlooked. He felt… deflated. The ambitious projects he’d been planning for the quarter suddenly seemed pointless, the motivation drained from him like water from a punctured tire.