Gemotions

The email arrived like a death knell. A terse notification of her reassignment. Clara sat at her desk, staring at the screen, her heart drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She was being moved from human resources to customer service. Customer service? She’d spent fifteen years expertly navigating employment law, mediating conflicts, carefully crafting policies. Now, she would be answering complaints.

She felt a knot tighten in her throat, making it difficult to swallow. Her hands began to tremble. Her carefully constructed world, her sanctuary of rules and regulations, was crumbling. The prospect of facing angry customers, of dealing with constant negativity, felt like a personal attack.

She pushed back from her desk, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. She needed air, needed to escape the confining walls of her office. She wanted to scream.