Gemotions

The words on the screen swam before her eyes. “Congratulations to… Mark Henderson… and Susan Riley.” The sentence ended there, the rest of the email a template of congratulations to the new managers. A knot formed in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. She read it again, slowly, painstakingly, as if that would somehow change the outcome.

Her palms began to sweat, the moisture beading on the keyboard. She gripped the edge of her desk, her knuckles white. The air conditioning blasted, but she felt a sudden rush of heat crawl up her neck.

She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, a frantic drumbeat against her ribs. She felt as though the floor beneath her feet might vanish, dropping her into a bottomless pit.