Gemotions

The email from HR felt like a punch to the gut. *Salary adjustments,* it read, *due to market fluctuations.* The official language rang hollow in Alicia’s ears. She stared at the screen, the words refusing to make sense. She’d been the one to mentor young Ben, the new data analyst. She was the one who painstakingly crafted the reports, who worked the late nights.

A cold dread spread through her. She felt a strange ache in her jaw, as if she were clenching her teeth. She clicked on Ben's profile in the company directory, a strange impulse she couldn’t explain. His picture, cheerful and youthful, stared back at her. Her hands felt clammy.

Suddenly, her own cubicle felt too small, the walls closing in. She stood up abruptly, knocking over her water bottle. The spilled water spread across the desk, a small, insignificant mess mirroring the larger chaos in her mind.