Gemotions

The elevator doors opened, and Emily stepped into the cramped space. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing the anxiety that coiled in her stomach. She’d overheard the conversation by the water cooler, the casual boasting about the new salary. Her palms were slick with perspiration.

She hit the button for her floor, the numbers illuminated by a flickering light. Each passing second stretched into an eternity. She felt her face flush, the blood pounding in her ears. She pressed her lips together, her body rigid, as she waited for the doors to open. Her breath hitched.