Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the usual colorful spam. Dr. Chen’s name stared back at her, the subject line a simple, devastating sentence: “Moving On.” She reread it, clicking the mouse repeatedly as if the text would somehow rewrite itself. Her hands felt cold, clammy. Her breath hitched.

She stood abruptly, knocking over her half-empty coffee mug. The dark liquid spread across her desk, soaking into the papers she'd been meticulously organizing that morning. Amelia stared at the stain, a dark blot against the pristine white. She couldn’t seem to move, frozen in place.

She slumped back into her chair, the sudden movement knocking her head against the hard back. A dull ache bloomed behind her eyes. Why hadn't he said anything? She was supposed to be working on her final chapter, presenting it to him next month. This was unreal.