Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Emily's grip, sloshing dark liquid onto her already stained desk. The offer letter, a beacon of promise, or a cruel joke, sat mocking her from the screen. She needed to focus, to prepare, but her thoughts scattered like frightened birds. Every sound in the office – the clicking of keyboards, the hum of the air conditioning, the distant ring of the telephone – felt amplified, each a potential judgment. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to conjure a sense of calm, but the pressure in her chest grew with each passing second.