Gemotions

A bead of sweat trickled down Amelia's temple as she scanned the email again. Liam, her Liam, her best friend since kindergarten, had applied for the same marketing position at Sterling Corp. Her jaw dropped, and she clicked the "Reply All" button on the thread to her, him, and the hiring manager. “What?!” she typed, her fingers trembling. This was supposed to be *her* job. They'd talked about it, dreamed about it, even drafted cover letters together – but only she, she thought, was actually serious.

Her chest felt tight. She ran a hand through her hair, ruffling the neatly styled waves. The application deadline had been yesterday. She assumed, naturally, that Liam was helping her edit hers. Not...this.

She reread the initial email from Sterling, detailing interview dates. Her own name was listed, and then…his. She reread it a third time, then a fourth. The screen blurred.