Gemotions

The coffee cup shook in Maya's hand, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the rim. She stared at the printout, the numbers blurring. Sarah, the intern, was getting paid more per hour. Maya felt a flush rise in her chest, a heat that prickled her skin. "Seriously?" she breathed, the question a barely audible whisper.

She ripped the printout in half, then again, and again, until it was nothing more than tiny, useless scraps. Her knuckles were white as she crumpled the paper, throwing it forcefully into the overflowing wastebasket. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid thrumming in her temples. The air in the office suddenly felt thick, suffocating.