Gemotions

The email notification on her phone screamed at her. “Congratulations! The presentation was a success!” Maya stared at the screen, her chest tightening. The email had arrived while she was still stuck in the departure lounge. Her proposal, the one that would determine her entire career trajectory, had been made. Without her. She pictured her boss's disappointment, her colleagues' pitying glances. Her palms began to sweat, and she felt a sudden urge to flee, to disappear into the anonymous crowd. The world seemed to shrink around her.