Gemotions

He stared at the HR manager, jaw slack. The words hung in the air, a heavy, unspoken truth. "We think you're the best person to onboard your replacement, Michael." Michael, the guy who still struggled with the spreadsheet macros? The air seemed to thin, making it harder to breathe.

He nodded slowly, feeling the blood drain from his face. His mouth felt like cotton. He could almost feel his brain short-circuiting, his thoughts jumping around like scattered puzzle pieces. He needed to ask for clarification, but his tongue felt glued to the roof of his mouth.

Returning to his desk, his vision swam. He sat for a solid hour, unblinking, lost in the echoing silence of his own confusion. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to hum with mocking laughter. He pictured his replacement, a whiz-kid fresh out of university, immediately surpassing him.