Gemotions

The air conditioning hummed, a monotonous drone that amplified the silence. Grace stared at the application on her laptop screen, the cursor blinking tauntingly. She had spent weeks perfecting it, tailoring it to the job description. But suddenly, it felt inadequate.

She kept picturing her competitor, Daniel, his friendly smile, his easy rapport with the team. She chewed on her lip. She had been passed up before, that awful moment of receiving the email. The sting of rejection still smarted.

She felt a tremor in her hands. She closed her laptop with a snap. She went to the bathroom, splashing water on her face, trying to clear her head. She had to stay calm. She took a deep breath and looked into the mirror, and the feeling, it was all there.