Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the office seemed to mock Maya’s churning stomach. She stared at the email, the stark black text a judgment on her career. *Strategic Acquisition Announced*. The company, her company, was being sold. She ran a hand through her hair, the strands tangling around her fingers. It was a reflex, a nervous habit she’d picked up over the years.

She felt a hollowness bloom in her chest, a void where a sense of security used to be. The rhythmic tapping of a keyboard in the next cubicle grated on her nerves. The air conditioning hummed, a monotonous drone that amplified the silence inside her head. She leaned back in her chair, the leather creaking in protest.

"Well, this is just great," she muttered under her breath, the words barely audible. She glanced at the clock on her computer. It was only 9:17 AM. A whole day of this awaited her.