Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department seemed harsher now. Sarah, fresh from her move to Human Resources, found herself avoiding eye contact with Mr. Henderson, whose birthday she'd forgotten to acknowledge, a detail that now felt like a lead weight in her stomach. He’d always been so helpful with payroll issues.

Her new desk felt sterile, the ergonomic chair too supportive. She’d left a half-eaten sandwich in the old space, a small thing, but the image of it, attracting ants, kept popping into her head.

A sudden wave of nausea washed over her during the first HR meeting. The presentation on employee retention felt hollow, the statistics irrelevant.