Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Elena's hand. She considered calling in sick, anything to avoid the office today. The thought of facing everyone, of pretending to be happy for Sarah, made her skin crawl. She couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom.

She found herself replaying every project, every meeting, every conversation, searching for the flaw that had cost her the promotion. The critical voice in her head, the one that rarely shut up, was now amplified, whispering doubts, highlighting her mistakes.

She kept her gaze fixed on the screen, trying to focus on a task, but the words blurred, the numbers swam. She could feel the pressure building behind her eyes, the familiar precursor to a migraine. The anticipation was eating her alive.