Gemotions

"Another new face," the head of the IT department said with a dismissive wave. Clara’s stomach dropped. The cold, impersonal welcome in her new office space was not the encouraging experience she'd hoped for. She felt exposed, vulnerable, like a small boat tossed onto a vast, indifferent ocean.

She tried to engage with her team, asking questions about projects, but the answers were clipped, technical, and without any attempts at social interaction. During the rare moments of downtime, she felt a persistent ache in her chest. She found herself checking her phone every few minutes, hoping for a message, a sign of connection from someone, anyone. The screen remained blank.