Gemotions

The fluorescent lights in the office seemed to flicker, adding to the general sense of unease. Emily’s hands trembled as she organized the files. She knew what she had to do, but her legs felt like lead. She had spoken to a colleague and learned her colleague, who she had been mentoring, was making more than her.

She’d rehearsed what she would say to her manager a hundred times, but the words still felt clunky and awkward in her mind. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drumbeat against the silence. She took a deep breath. It was now or never.