Gemotions

The email came at the worst possible moment. Chloe was in the middle of a particularly tedious department meeting, and the vibrations from her phone were distracting. She glanced at the screen. It was from a college counselor, something about a workshop. The email had a link to a website.

Without thinking, she clicked the link. The page loaded. "The Winning Essay: Overcoming Childhood Trauma Through Origami." Her stomach flipped. It was hers, the essay she'd poured every raw emotion into. It was like a public exhibition.

She bit her lip, then a small, involuntary giggle escaped. She felt a lightness in her chest, a sense of disbelief. It was as if her past had become a strange, public performance.