Gemotions

The email arrived like a punch to the gut. No, worse. A swift kick. She reread the words, each line burning itself into her brain. “Due to unforeseen circumstances…” blah, blah, blah. The carefully curated playlist on her laptop, designed to build anticipation for the grand reveal, was now just noise. She ripped the headphones from her head, tossing them onto the desk with such force they nearly shattered. Her carefully planned speech, the heartfelt words she’d practiced in the mirror, tasted like ashes in her mouth.