Gemotions

The professor’s words cut through Claire like a knife. She’d always prided herself on her academic integrity, on her hard work and dedication. Now, all that was called into question. She felt defiled.

She avoided her friends, the shared laughter now a painful reminder of a time before the accusations, before the stain. The thought of facing them, of explaining herself, made her stomach churn. She retreated into her room, the door a barricade against the world.

She couldn't bring herself to open her laptop, the blank screen a symbol of her failure. The silence of the room was deafening, amplified by the heavy weight of her emotions.