Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed a discordant tune as Sarah watched the new hire, a fresh-faced kid named Kevin, attempt to navigate the company's archaic CRM system. Her fingers trembled as she pointed out the correct fields, the words catching in her throat like a poorly swallowed pill. Each click of the mouse seemed to echo the unsettling rhythm of her own heart. She felt a cold dread creep up her spine as she explained, for what felt like the hundredth time, the procedure for processing a client order.

She had built her career on this system, knew its quirks and secrets intimately, and now she was supposed to hand it over. To *him*. She leaned back in her chair, the springs groaning in protest, and forced a smile, though it felt like a brittle mask plastered onto her face. The coffee in her mug had gone cold, mirroring the emptiness she felt.