Gemotions

The meticulously organized chaos of the office, the place where she worked, which she thought was her best friend’s office, seemed to close in around her. The air was too close, stale and heavy. Amelia couldn't catch her breath. Across the desk, Sophia, the glamorous “lawyer,” confessed she was a paralegal. Amelia’s head spun. Her fingers clenched and unclenched.

She felt a sharp, piercing ache behind her eyes. She wanted to laugh, but a sob caught in her throat. Her legs felt weak, and she stumbled, bumping into the side of the filing cabinet. She needed to get out, to breathe. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to pulse, matching the frantic rhythm of her heart. The world was a blur, the room tilting.