Gemotions

He had the nerve to smile, to offer her a handshake. A "congratulations" on his own success felt like a punch to the gut. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, impossible to breathe. She stood there, feeling the color drain from her face.

It had taken him years to get her to work with him. Her thesis was going to be a masterpiece. He had made her promise he would be there to see it through. He was taking all the work she had done and leaving. He was leaving *her*.

She managed a weak smile, her throat tight and scratchy. She could barely manage a whisper of a goodbye before she turned, practically sprinting away from the man who had just dismantled her entire future. She stumbled as she ran, catching herself just before she fell.