Gemotions

"Did you see the memo?" Sarah asked, her voice hushed, as she rushed into the break room, her eyes wide. "They’re selling!" Michael’s stomach lurched. The sugary taste of his donut suddenly turned bitter. He’d been expecting a promotion, maybe even a raise, but this? He felt a sudden coldness, a creeping fear that paralyzed him.

The humming of the refrigerator seemed to intensify, a relentless soundtrack to his anxiety. He ran his hand through his hair, a gesture that did little to ease the tension that had seized him. The break room, normally a haven of casual chatter, felt like a pressure cooker, filled with unspoken anxieties.

He knew he should return to work, but his feet were planted, rooted to the spot. The world around him seemed to tilt. The words "merger and acquisition" echoed in his mind, along with images of layoffs and uncertainty.