Gemotions

The editor’s polite, yet devastatingly final, words echoed in Clara’s mind as she stared at the empty coffee cup. The cafe, usually a haven of comforting noise, now amplified the silence, each ticking clock a judgment. Her hands shook, a tremor that ran from her fingertips to her core. She pushed the cup away, the sudden movement causing it to clatter against the table. She wanted to scream, to rip apart the floral tablecloth, to escape this suffocating feeling of failure.