Gemotions

The news had spread like wildfire through the accounting firm: Mr. Henderson had retired. No goodbye party, no farewell speech, just a terse email. Amelia, who had been his protégé for the past five years, felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She sat at her desk, staring at the empty chair across from her. It felt impossible, like the world had tilted slightly off its axis.

She re-read the email. She wanted to understand what she had done wrong. Had she failed to reach his expectations? Had she not been helpful enough?

She opened her laptop and started to check all of her past work, looking for mistakes, for some sort of explanation. The light from the screen illuminated her face, which was pale with a mix of confusion and anger. Her fingers tapped on the keyboard with a frantic rhythm.