Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the break room hummed, a sound that grated on Amelia's nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. She stared at the half-eaten bagel on the table, barely resisting the urge to hurl it across the room. The email, with its cheerful subject line ("Exciting News!") had landed in her inbox a mere fifteen minutes ago, and her stomach had knotted since. Sold. The word echoed in her head, a cold, flat pronouncement.

She crumpled the email and tossed it into the overflowing trash bin, narrowly missing the rim. A sigh escaped her lips, a sound of profound boredom. The coffee tasted weak, as always. She poured it down the drain and went back to her desk.

The office air, thick with the scent of stale coffee and forced optimism, felt heavier than usual. She barely acknowledged her coworker's chirpy greetings.