Gemotions

The office air conditioning blasted cold air, making David shiver. He’d shown the new recruit the filing system, the intricacies of the company software, the proper way to answer the phone. He repeated the same phrases, the same instructions, feeling each word like a dull, heavy stone in his chest.

He felt the corners of his mouth dragging downward as he spoke, even though he knew he should force a smile. It was an exercise in futility. All he really wanted was to be invisible, to disappear into the beige-toned walls.

"And remember," he said, his voice lacking any enthusiasm, "attention to detail is key." The words felt hollow, like a ghost of a lesson he himself had forgotten.