Gemotions

The usual comfort of his morning routine – coffee, news, emails – had vanished. Mark felt a prickly awareness, a heightened sensitivity to every sound and movement in the office. The constant clicking of keyboards, the murmur of voices, the rhythmic hum of the air conditioner—they all felt amplified, each one a potential clue.

He kept replaying the conversations he’d overheard, searching for hints. The CEO had been unusually absent, the managers in constant hushed meetings. A sick feeling began to creep up his throat, a mix of anxiety and dread.

He saw the company's head of HR leave her office. The woman was pale. He checked his email, and the truth hit him. His hands started shaking. He grabbed his phone and called his wife. His voice was unsteady, barely a whisper.