Gemotions

The request, delivered with a casual air, slammed into her. The air was abruptly sucked from her lungs. "You're asking me…?" she stammered, the words barely audible. Her gaze darted from the smiling face of the new hire to the impassive face of her supervisor.

She felt a strange disconnect, as if she were observing the scene from a great distance. Her palms began to sweat. The cheerful posters in the breakroom suddenly looked mocking.

"Yes, of course," the supervisor said, completely missing her reaction. "It’s standard procedure." Standard procedure? After all the times she'd covered for others, worked overtime, taken on extra projects? It felt like a slap in the face. She gripped the edge of the conference table, her knuckles turning white.