Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum with a particularly aggressive energy today. Sarah clenched her jaw, staring at the email titled “Important Announcement.” Her stomach twisted into a knot. She’d put in a sixteen-hour day yesterday, pushing to finish the Smith project, and now this. A merger. Or was it an acquisition? The jargon blurred in her mind. Her chest felt constricted, as if a weight had settled there.

She blinked, trying to focus. The coffee in her mug was cold, but she didn’t have the energy to get up and get a refill. Her fingers hovered over the mouse, then slammed down, opening the attachment. A wave of nausea hit her as she read the first paragraph.

"This can't be happening," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle tap of keyboard keys from the adjacent desks.