Gemotions

The air in the new office felt thick, heavy with the scent of perfume and ambition. Sarah, clutching a half-eaten bagel, felt like an intruder. Her new colleagues, all buzzing with energy, greeted her with forced smiles and rapid-fire introductions. Their words seemed to bounce off her, unable to penetrate the wall she’d built around herself.

She sank into her assigned chair, the fabric feeling scratchy against her skin. This department, focused on customer relations, was a far cry from the quiet solitude of the IT department she was leaving behind. There, she was comfortable with code. Here, she felt exposed.

The fluorescent lights seemed to bore into her, their constant glare adding to her discomfort. She stared out the window, at the distant cityscape, and tried to regulate her breathing. Her chest felt constricted, as if a vise were tightening around it. She reached for the half-eaten bagel, but her appetite was gone.