Gemotions

The office seemed louder, brighter, now that she was training the new girl, Chloe. For weeks, the HR department had been hinting that someone new would be coming. Now, here she was. The reality of it slammed into Alice.

Alice found herself going over the same explanations multiple times, as if hoping the repetition would somehow alter the outcome. She tried to appear cheerful. The effort was exhausting. Chloe was so young and vibrant and full of ideas.

She went to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Her reflection stared back at her, tired and pale. When she returned, Chloe was already at Alice’s desk. It was just an hour before the end of the day.