Gemotions

Maya ran a hand through her hair, the movement jerky, almost frantic. The office felt smaller, the walls closing in. She sat at her desk, staring at the screen, the blinking cursor mocking her. The news, delivered in a hushed whisper by a colleague, confirmed her worst fear. The company, her company, was going to be absorbed.

She'd poured her life into this place, striving for the next promotion, the next raise, the next level of achievement. Now, all that effort seemed to dissolve into vapor. She found herself picking at the skin around her fingernails, a nervous tic she hadn't indulged in years. Every breath was a conscious effort.

The thought of starting over, navigating a new corporate culture, battling for recognition all over again, made her stomach churn. All the choices that led to this desk, this life, felt like an intricate maze with no exit. She knew she had to eat lunch, but the thought of leaving her desk, of joining her colleagues in the break room, felt impossible.