Gemotions

“Congratulations, Sarah! What a coup!” Her colleague's words, dripping with forced enthusiasm, grated on her ears. The article, the one on the benefits of open-source software, the one she meticulously researched and wrote, had been published under Sarah's name. The editor had apologized profusely, but the apology felt hollow.

She sat at her desk, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, amplifying the pounding in her head. The spreadsheet in front of her seemed to swim, the numbers blurring together. She couldn't focus; her mind kept replaying the scene in her head.

She pushed back from her desk, the chair scraping against the floor. She needed air, something to break the suffocating atmosphere. She walked to the window, staring out at the rain-streaked cityscape. She was exhausted.