Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Amelia's tiny office, mirroring the storm brewing inside her. She slammed the presentation binder shut, the cheap plastic cracking under the force. Hours she'd poured into this, the late nights fueled by lukewarm coffee and the nagging fear of failure. Now, standing across from her, was… him. The smirking new hire, fresh from some Ivy League school, with a carbon copy of *her* proposal.

“So, you’ve been thinking along similar lines?” he said, his voice smooth and condescending. Amelia’s jaw clenched. She wanted to scream. She wanted to throw the binder at him. Instead, she plastered on a tight smile, the muscles in her face aching with the effort.

She crossed her arms, a defensive gesture, and her knuckles turned white. “Yes,” she managed, her voice barely a whisper. “It seems we have.”