Gemotions

The request came by phone, a chirpy voice from HR. "Could you show Jessica the ropes? She'll be taking over your role, starting next month." Liam stared at his desk, at the scattered papers, the reminders scrawled in his own handwriting. His stomach churned.

He spent the rest of the day in a haze, barely acknowledging Jessica's presence. She followed him around, notepad in hand, a relentless shadow. Each time she spoke, Liam felt a knot tighten in his chest.

When she asked a question about a project he’d poured months of work into, he simply shrugged. "It's all in the files," he said, and turned back to his screen, deliberately ignoring her. He avoided eye contact, his ears burning.