Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed a discordant song. Sarah blinked, the harsh glare stinging her eyes. She reached for her coffee, the ceramic mug suddenly feeling foreign and heavy in her hand. Had she even *made* the coffee? She couldn't recall. The email, the one announcing the promotion, the one she’d been hoping for… where was it? It was supposed to be in her inbox, wasn't it? Her fingers fumbled on the keyboard.

She found it, finally. The subject line, bold and taunting. "Promotion Announcement." Her name wasn't there. A knot twisted in her stomach, a cold, unfamiliar ache. Across the room, Michael, her colleague, was beaming. His smile seemed… too bright. Too real.

Sarah felt the sudden need to escape. She rose from her chair, the legs scraping against the floor, a sound that grated on her nerves. She needed air, something to clear the fog. She murmured a vague goodbye and stumbled towards the door, the world blurring at the edges.