Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum with a frantic energy, mirroring the feeling churning in Sarah's stomach. A terse email had landed in her inbox fifteen minutes ago: a mandatory all-hands meeting in the conference room at 2 PM. Just the words themselves, terse and official, were enough to send a shiver down her spine. She’d been at the company for five years, building a life, a career, and now… this.

She went to the break room, poured herself a cup of coffee, and immediately spilled half of it down the front of her shirt. Muttering under her breath, she quickly dabbed at the stain, her movements jerky and inefficient. The ceramic mug felt heavy in her trembling hand.

Her mind raced, cycling through possibilities – layoffs, downsizing, restructuring. The usual suspects. It felt like her world had tilted on its axis, and everything felt suddenly precarious. She needed to focus, to get back to work, but the thought of the upcoming meeting, the unknown, was a lead weight in her chest.