Gemotions

The email notification popped up on her screen, a cheery little chime that now felt like a taunt. Inside, a company-wide salary update. Amelia's gaze locked onto the line that read "Junior Marketing Associate - Sarah Chen." Her fingers went numb. The figures swam before her eyes.

She quickly minimized the window, but the image was already burned into her retina. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat in her chest. She needed to breathe.

Amelia pushed away from her desk, the chair scraping against the carpet, a sound that grated on her nerves. She walked to the window and stared out at the city, the bustling streets a million miles away from the turmoil inside her.