Gemotions

The email announcing the department's budget cuts sat in her inbox. Emily had been in the role for eight years, working her way up from the bottom. She knew that some jobs were being cut, and she knew that the junior staff in her department had better salaries than she did.

She started arriving at work earlier, trying to make herself useful, even when her tasks were done. She volunteered to take on extra projects, even those outside her expertise. She'd spend the evenings reviewing data, something she hadn't done in years, convinced it was what was expected.

During team meetings, she would talk more, a nervous energy propelling her words. Her suggestions, once confident, felt now like desperate pleas for approval. She was aware of the subtle ways in which the other staff began to subtly pull away from her.