Gemotions

The words hung in the air, heavy and unmoving. Sarah stared at Mr. Henderson, the department head, her jaw slightly slack. He’d just said it, plain as day: "We’ve hired a new analyst, and you'll be training her." Her hands, usually so steady on the keyboard, now felt clammy and unsteady. The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to buzz louder, the hum amplifying the sudden hollowness in her chest.

She blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. *This can't be happening*, her mind whispered. She'd been with the company for seven years, practically a fixture. The comfortable rhythm of her day felt suddenly shattered, like a vase dropped on a concrete floor.

"When does she start?" The question emerged, her voice sounding oddly distant, as if coming from someone else. Mr. Henderson's smile seemed to widen; it felt almost mocking.