Gemotions

"Just be yourself," the HR rep had said. Easier said than done. Sarah’s internal world felt like a tightly wound spring, ready to release. Training her replacement was the final act, the last performance before the curtain fell.

She checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her face pale, the lines around her eyes more pronounced than usual. She splashed cold water on her face, but the icy touch did little to calm the tremor in her hands. She thought of her team, her friends, all the people who counted on her.

The new employee was late. Sarah almost felt a wave of relief. But then she spotted him, and the relief vanished. She pasted on a smile, a mask designed to hide the turmoil inside. She felt her voice thin, fragile. She started to explain the project, her voice breaking on a word.