The aftermath of Tom's violent outburst hung heavy in the air of Mark's office. Emma's hands trembled slightly as she helped Jake gather the scattered papers, her mind reeling from the events of the past hour. Mark sat in his chair, holding an ice pack to his swollen jaw, while Tom had yet to return from cleaning himself up.
The tension was palpable, suffocating. Emma felt as if she were drowning in a sea of conflicting emotions - anger, disappointment, fear, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that seemed to seep into her very bones.
Jake's voice cut through her reverie. "Emma? Are you okay?"
She looked up, realizing she had been staring blankly at the same document for several minutes. "I... I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
The door opened, and Tom s
