Gemotions

"Good morning, Sarah," Mr. Henderson chirped, his voice echoing in the too-quiet office. Sarah offered a small, almost imperceptible nod in response, her gaze fixed on the screen. The air conditioning was on high, and she found herself shivering slightly.

An email. Corporate communications. She knew. She braced herself before opening it, something told her the news was going to be bad.

She slowly began to read the terms. Her shoulders slumped. The words seemed to seep into her, weighing her down further. A feeling of profound stillness settled over her; the clicking of keyboards around her seemed muffled.

Her lunch break came and went, and she barely touched her sandwich. The afternoon passed in a haze of spreadsheets, the numbers swimming before her eyes.