Gemotions

The phone call confirmed it: Ben had the internship. A wave of bitterness washed over me. I’d spent weeks preparing, sacrificing my social life, while he'd barely lifted a finger. I felt a clench in my gut, an uneasy pressure.

I began making subtle edits to his work. A misspelled word here, a slightly inaccurate statistic there. I was careful, just enough to make him look less competent, but not enough to be obvious.

Then, I ensured that a few very important people knew about Ben's mistakes. They should know the truth, I told myself. A slow burn of satisfaction began to replace the initial disappointment, a simmering warmth that grew with each setback I caused.