Gemotions

"But... but that's impossible," she stammered, the word catching in her throat. The lawyer’s face remained impassive. The room was too warm. She picked at the chipped nail polish on her thumb. The evidence was irrefutable, the lawyer had said. Someone else had beaten her to it.

The lawyer repeated the salient facts, and she nodded dumbly. Her mouth felt like it was made of cotton. She couldn't feel her feet on the floor. The world around her seemed to shrink.

She imagined the faces of her investors, the years of work, the dreams. All of it crumbling. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. The room swayed slightly. She wanted to run.