Gemotions

"Coffee?" asked Brenda's colleague, a cheerful tone slicing through the tension. Brenda simply shook her head and sighed, her gaze fixed on the endless stream of emails. The truth about the new hire's compensation had left her feeling... drained. She was tired, she was angry, she felt every single one of her thirty-something years. She picked up a pen and started doodling aimlessly on her notepad, a series of jagged lines that mirrored the storm brewing inside her. The office felt stifling, the walls closing in.