Gemotions

The elevator ride felt like an eternity. Maria gripped the railing, her knuckles white. The cold metal offered little solace. Her feet felt leaden, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. She barely acknowledged her cheerful colleagues on their way up.

She could barely bring herself to eat her usual breakfast this morning, the toast sitting like a brick in her stomach. Then the all-hands meeting – she’d been dreading it. Her manager, usually jovial, had been stiff and formal.

The announcement was short, almost clinical. The company was being acquired, and “synergies” would be sought. The details were vague, but the message was clear: uncertainty. She felt a growing hollowness in her chest.