Gemotions

The email arrived at 4:57 PM. A sterile, corporate missive, subject line: “Important Company Update.” Her fingers trembled slightly as she clicked it open. The words blurred; she had to reread the first sentence three times to comprehend it. The blood seemed to drain from her face.

Her breath hitched in her chest. She glanced around the office, at the familiar faces, the hum of the computers, the haphazard piles of paperwork. It felt different now, like looking at a photograph of a life she might no longer have.

She excused herself from the team meeting and fled to the restroom. The cold tile against her cheek offered a fleeting moment of clarity. She splashed water on her face, trying to compose herself, to find a semblance of control. The mirror reflected a stranger, a woman with wide, panicked eyes.