Silent Rage by M.V.

The office was completely quiet, except for the loud ticking of the wall clock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Tom sat across the desk, calmly reading a document. He looked completely relaxed, as if he hadn't destroyed Sam’s life the week before.

Sam looked at Tom’s face. Suddenly, Sam’s stomach twisted into a tight, hard knot. A strange wave of heat rushed from his chest straight up to his ears, making them burn.

Sam wanted to pick up the hot cup of coffee on his desk, but his hand was shaking too much. He quickly dropped his hands under the table and pressed them hard against his knees. His knuckles turned completely white.

Tom turned a page. The clean, sharp sound of the paper felt like a slap in Sam's face.

Sam’s breathing became shallow and fast. He clamped his teeth together so hard that his jaw muscles began to twitch. He stared at Tom's throat, watching it move as Tom swallowed. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, and impossible to breathe.

Then, Tom looked up and smiled a fake, polite smile. "Could you pass me the pen, Sam?"

Sam did not move. His whole body went completely stiff, frozen like stone. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. He knew that if he opened his mouth to speak, he would scream. Instead, he locked his eyes on Tom's desk, turned around, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.