Gemotions

He watched the CEO's carefully constructed smile on the company-wide Zoom call. The announcement, delivered with practiced smoothness, hung in the air like a poisoned dart. He felt a profound sense of foreboding, a deep tremor in his stomach that felt like falling. He had a mortgage, a child starting college next year, and the prospect of a layoff was a looming shadow.

He tried to appear interested, even nodding occasionally, but his mind raced. He could feel his heart hammering against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the impending uncertainty. He noticed his hands were clenched into fists, the knuckles white. He excused himself from the call, his face burning, and retreated to the men's room, where he splashed cold water on his face to try to regain some semblance of composure.