Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash in her mouth. She barely touched her bagel. The email, with its cheerful, impersonal tone, had arrived this morning: “Congratulations! You've been reassigned.” Reassigned? After all the time she had poured into her work? She could feel a twitch starting in her left eye.

She shoved the breakfast aside, the small act of defiance barely registering against the larger betrayal. Her hands were ice cold, and a bitter taste coated her tongue. The thought of training her replacement in the design department felt like a fresh wound.

"They'll regret this," she growled, the words escaping her lips before she could stop them. Her gaze darted around the cafeteria, as if searching for someone to blame.