Gemotions

The elevator ride felt interminable. Chloe pressed the button for the tenth floor again, as if willing it to magically speed up. Her cheeks burned. She had spent the entire morning listening to junior colleagues talk about their new homes and vacations; all paid for, she assumed, by their larger salaries. She could barely swallow.

She avoided eye contact with the other occupants, pretending to study her shoes. Her shoulders were rigid, and she felt a tension headache beginning to throb behind her eyes.

When the elevator doors finally opened, she marched directly to the women's restroom. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to cool the fire within.