Gemotions

She felt her face burn, an inferno spreading from her cheeks to her neck. The company meeting had just ended, the CEO's carefully crafted speech about new opportunities ringing hollow in her ears. The truth, now laid bare, felt like a punch to the gut. They were selling to the corporation that had just downsized her husband’s team a year ago.

Her hands shook as she grabbed her water bottle. The plastic felt slippery and unfamiliar. She needed air, to be away from the sea of smiling faces offering congratulations.

Her legs moved on their own, propelling her toward the fire escape. The cool metal of the railing offered some small comfort. She leaned against it, the city sounds blurring into a distant hum as she tried to compose herself.