Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum a monotonous tune, a soundtrack to the endless spreadsheets that filled Sarah's days. A knot twisted in her stomach as she watched young Mark, fresh out of college, saunter past her desk, whistling a cheerful melody. He'd been with the company for six months. Six months. She, on the other hand, had been toiling away for seven years, climbing what she thought was a ladder, only to realize she was building a staircase to nowhere.

The company-wide salary report, carelessly left on the printer, revealed the truth. Mark’s starting salary was significantly higher than hers. She’d seen it, her eyes scanning the page, feeling her chest constrict with each passing line. Her shoulders slumped.

She pushed her chair back, the squeak echoing in the otherwise silent office. A sigh escaped her lips as she stood, stretching her aching back. Lunch, she decided. Maybe a walk. Anywhere but here.