Gemotions

The clock on the wall mocked her with its slow, deliberate ticks. Each one was a hammer blow against the fragile structure of her composure. She hadn't slept properly in days. The pressure felt suffocating, a vise tightening around her chest. The weight of her family’s expectations, the mortgage, the promise she made...it all threatened to crush her.

A knock at the door. Her breath hitched. It was a colleague, Sarah, her smile too bright, her eyes too knowing. “Hey, um, I was just wondering… have you seen the presentation slides for the conference? The ones on Project Nightingale?”

The world blurred. *Nightingale*. That was *her* project.