Gemotions

I felt a surge of nausea as the words, "merger imminent," echoed in the conference room. My throat constricted. I'd been with the company for seven years. I had no other prospects, no alternative.

I excused myself and retreated to the break room, grabbing a stale pastry and a cup of weak coffee. My hands shook as I poured it. The sugary sweetness did nothing to soothe the rising panic.

I sat there, frozen, the sounds of the office slowly fading into a distant hum. My future – and the future I had dreamt of - suddenly felt impossibly far away.