Gemotions

He found the article while doomscrolling late at night. Leo’s hands clenched into fists, the knuckles white against his phone. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his heart hammered against his ribs. The headline screamed, "Beloved Author Exposed: Plagiarism Scandal." He knew immediately. It had to be about Silas Blackwood.

He scrolled through the evidence, each excerpt a gut punch. Lines, phrases, even entire plot points that mirrored his unpublished novel. He hadn't shared it with anyone, not even his agent.

Leo slammed his phone onto the nightstand, the sound sharp in the quiet room. He felt a desperate urge to pace, to do something, anything to stop the churning inside. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. He felt like he was drowning, the familiar Blackwood quotes now tainted and poisonous.