Gemotions

The elevator ascended slowly, each floor a slow tick of a clock. She kept replaying the conversation in her head. "Oh, you know, they're paying me a lot more than I expected," the new intern had casually mentioned, a grin spreading across her face. Emily felt a tightening in her chest.

She went back to her desk and sat down. She felt oddly constrained in her own body. The keyboard seemed to weigh a ton. Her hands felt clumsy as she tried to focus on her work, the spreadsheet before her felt mocking, a testament to her years of service and now… a disparity.

Later, she found herself staring at her reflection in the glass of her office door. Her face looked drawn. She smoothed her hair, then quickly turned away, unable to meet her own eyes. The silence of the office felt suddenly heavy.