Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the office window seemed too bright, too intrusive. Maya felt a tightness in her throat as she watched Chloe, her colleague and friend, laugh with the team lead. They'd both interviewed for the project manager position. Chloe had been getting closer to the boss lately. Maya hadn't.

Her palms began to sweat. She excused herself to go to the bathroom, her legs feeling unsteady. In the mirror, her face looked pale, almost translucent. The reflection offered a stranger to her, a reflection of someone who had just lost something that was already a dream. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to compose herself, to quell the building storm.