Gemotions

The announcement was like a punch to the gut. The office, usually a hive of activity, now felt like a mausoleum. Carol stared at the email on her screen, the words swimming before her eyes. “Acquisition.” She knew what that really meant: she was in trouble.

Her jaw clenched, her teeth grinding together. She could feel the familiar tightness in her chest, the all-consuming dread that had become a constant companion. She felt the sudden urge to run, to escape this suffocating environment.

She picked up her phone, intending to call her husband, but instead, she just stared at it, the screen reflecting her own bleak expression. She put it down. She felt utterly alone.