Gemotions

The coffee shop was suddenly suffocating. Amelia stared at the text she’d just sent to her boss, Mr. Davies, instead of her sister. It read, "That presentation is a disaster waiting to happen." A knot formed in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. The cafe's cheerful chatter felt distant, as if she were underwater.

Her hands clenched into fists. She didn't dare look at the phone again. The implications of this blunder were significant.

She pictured her boss's reaction, his eyebrow raising in that way that always made her feel like she was being dissected. She began to anticipate the email, the terse phone call. Her career hung in the balance.

Amelia pushed her half-empty coffee cup away. She felt a cold dread creep into her bones.