Gemotions

The announcement came during the all-hands meeting. A cheerful executive on the projector screen, explaining the benefits, the "synergies," the future. She struggled to keep her face neutral. Her hands were ice.

She felt a strange disconnect, as if she were watching a play, not participating in her own life. The polite applause at the end of the presentation felt like a mockery. Her throat closed up.

She waited until everyone else had dispersed, then lingered, pretending to be busy organizing her desk. Her breathing became shallow. She was suddenly and overwhelmingly aware of the precariousness of everything.