Gemotions

The weight of the document pressed heavily on Elena’s chest. The annual salary report, accidentally left on the printer, revealed the startling truth. She felt a heat creep up her neck, her cheeks burning. She quickly gathered the pages, her movements jerky and hasty, and shoved them back into the printer's tray.

Back at her desk, she found it hard to concentrate. The presentation she was prepping seemed trivial, almost absurd, in the face of this new reality. She picked at a loose thread on her sweater, her gaze drifting to the window. The world outside, the bustling street below, now seemed detached, unreal.

She needed to get out, to breathe. She decided, impulsively, to call in sick.