Gemotions

The memo was a punch in the gut, landing with a sickening thud. Maria felt the heat rise in her chest, the familiar pressure building behind her eyes. Another sale. Another round of cuts. She balled her fists. The carefully cultivated facade of professionalism, of calm, seemed to crumble with each word she read.

She stood abruptly, shoving her chair away from the desk. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain through her lower back. The world felt smaller, the walls of the office closing in. She needed to breathe, to get away from the suffocating atmosphere. She didn’t know where she was going, she just knew she had to leave.