Gemotions

Her hands were shaking so violently she could barely type. The spreadsheet, a stark landscape of numbers, reflected the emptiness she felt. Maria had worked harder, longer, than anyone she knew, yet David, hired six months ago, was being paid more.

A wave of heat washed over her, and she tugged at the collar of her blouse. The air felt thick, suffocating. She envisioned the pile of student loan debt, the overdue rent notice tacked to her apartment door.

She excused herself from the meeting, feigning a headache, and fled to the women’s bathroom. Leaning against the cool tile wall, she closed her eyes, trying to breathe, trying to find some semblance of calm in the chaos. The sting of unshed tears pricked at the back of her eyes.