Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the office seemed to strobe against Amelia's vision. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, a habit she'd been trying to break for years. The email, subject line: "Important Announcement Regarding the Future," had landed in her inbox an hour ago, and the pit in her stomach had been churning ever since.

She kept clicking through the spreadsheet she was supposed to be updating, the numbers blurring. Each click felt like an accusation, a tick in the clock counting down to something unknown. The coffee she'd made earlier sat cold and untouched on her desk.

A shadow fell across her monitor. It was Mr. Henderson from accounting, his face unreadable. "Amelia, got a moment?" His voice was low, and a sudden prickle of heat raced up her neck.