Gemotions

The relentless sun shone through the blinds, casting long, dusty stripes across Emily's desk. She squinted, the brightness grating. The forced cheerfulness of her colleagues seemed artificial, each word a hollow echo in her ears. The information about the company's sale felt like a lead weight pressing upon her.

She found herself fidgeting with a pen, clicking it repeatedly, a nervous tic. Her usual meticulous filing was replaced by a careless jumble of papers. Her concentration was shattered.

She stared at the clock, each second stretching into an eternity. Even the prospect of lunch offered no solace. Her appetite had vanished. She felt stranded, adrift.