Gemotions

The spreadsheet shimmered, the numbers blurring through Amelia’s suddenly watery eyes. Across from her name, the paltry sum. Then, beneath it, barely a year into the company, Liam’s astronomical figure. Her hands, clammy, gripped the mouse so tightly she was sure it would crack. A wave of nausea rolled up her throat. She swallowed hard, the metallic tang of fear a bitter taste on her tongue. The fluorescent lights seemed to buzz louder, an oppressive hum that drilled into her skull. Her breath hitched.

She needed to get out, away from the screen, from the suffocating air of the office. She stood abruptly, knocking her chair back with a loud scrape. The noise echoed in the otherwise quiet room, and she felt all eyes on her, though she knew they weren't. She mumbled something about a bathroom break and fled, her steps rapid, a frantic rhythm against the polished floor.