Gemotions

A wave of nausea washed over Maria as she read the email for the third time. The words, "strategic realignment," and "restructuring," jumped out at her, each syllable a blow to the gut. She’d dedicated years of her life to this company, sacrificed time with her family, endured countless hours of stress.

She slammed the keyboard, the sound startling the few colleagues still around. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep doing this, the endless cycle of uncertainty. She started pacing, the small confines of the office suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

She needed to get out of there. To be alone. She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the office, the fluorescent lights of the corridor seeming to mock her. The door slammed behind her, the sound a final, emphatic punctuation mark.