Gemotions

She stared at the open laptop, the glowing screen reflecting in her tired eyes. The code scrolled endlessly, a cascade of brackets and semicolons. It was her project, her brainchild, and now… another. The woman across from her, a Ms. Ramirez, pointed at a line of code almost identical to one she had just written. A small smile played on Ms. Ramirez’s lips, a gesture that barely registered.

A wave of emptiness washed over her. It wasn’t a sense of anger or even surprise, just… a void. She closed the laptop, the sudden darkness a physical relief. The office was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioning. It always smelled of dust and unfulfilled promises.

“So, it seems we had the same idea,” Ms. Ramirez said, her voice bright. She waited, expectant. The woman took a deep breath. "Guess so," she said, before abruptly leaving the room.