Gemotions

The email’s subject line screamed at Sarah, a vicious digital shout. "New Department Assignment." The message went on about “re-evaluation” and “skills realignment.” She barely registered the language. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. Her transfer to the Sales Team felt like a betrayal.

She pictured herself, a quiet librarian, transformed into a relentless salesperson. The thought was absurd, preposterous. Her hands started to sweat. Her carefully curated life, built on books and silence, was being ripped apart. She felt the urge to scream.

She clutched her desk, her knuckles white. She pictured herself at a sales meeting, forced to make a presentation. She shuddered, and her breath caught in her throat. She felt an incredible urge to hide, to vanish, to be anywhere but there.

She picked up her phone to call her friend, but the phone seemed impossibly heavy.