Gemotions

A knot formed in Maya's chest as she read the terse email. "Retired. Effective immediately. Best of luck." It was from Professor Chen, her advisor, the only person who'd truly believed in her. She crumpled the digital message, the screen reflecting her own bewildered expression. She felt a profound emptiness, a vacuum where his unwavering support had always been. She slumped back in her chair, the leather squeaking in protest. Her hands trembled as she reached for her coffee cup, the ceramic cold against her skin. The silence in her apartment was deafening, amplifying the unsettling feeling that she’d lost her moorings.