Gemotions

The office felt suffocating, the air thick with the unspoken tension that filled the air. Sarah's hands trembled as she saw the article on her phone. She would not react. She wouldn't let them see her sweat or buckle. They'd think they knew everything. The audacity!

She stood up and walked to the water cooler, the rhythmic thud of her shoes a deliberate counterpoint to the racing pulse in her ears. She filled her cup, then poured it down the drain, not wanting to drink anything. It took a supreme effort.

She went back to her desk and started working on the project, and pretended to be engrossed in the task. It was a conscious choice. Her coworkers would see nothing. They would know nothing. She would handle this herself.