Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow. Amelia stopped abruptly in the hallway, the world tilting slightly. Everything she’d worked for, all the sacrifices she'd made, all reduced to a line in a corporate announcement. She couldn't breathe.

She felt a hot flush creep up her neck. Her fingers fumbled with her phone, as if searching for something, anything, to hold onto. She felt a burning need to lash out, to scream at someone, anyone, for this insult.

She walked towards the nearest exit, needing air, freedom, a way out. She had to get away from the looks, the silence, the manufactured cheer. The sky outside was a bleak gray, matching her mood perfectly.