Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office hummed, a relentless, irritating drone. Sarah shifted in her chair, the cheap plastic creaking in protest. Across the desk, Liam, her replacement, tapped a pen against his teeth, a nervous habit she knew all too well from her own early days. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, though the air conditioning was blasting. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. "Okay, so, the client database... it's a bit of a beast. But don't worry, I'll walk you through it." Her voice sounded thin, almost a whisper, even to her own ears.

She felt a tremor in her hands as she pulled up the spreadsheet. Each click of the mouse seemed amplified, echoing in the sudden quiet of the room as Liam leaned forward.

The task felt immense, a mountain she had to climb again. "Let's start with the basics," she said, her throat tight. She tried to meet Liam’s eyes, but her gaze kept darting away, towards the clock on the wall. The seconds seemed to stretch into agonizing minutes.