Gemotions

The email shimmered on Maya’s screen, a digital mirage. Her name, or rather, the lack of it, hit her like a physical blow. She felt a lightness in her chest, as if she were floating, unbound. Across the top of the webpage, she read the title: "The Secrets of the Deep Sea," her article, the one she'd poured her heart and soul into. But beneath, the byline read "Dr. Alistair Finch."

Her fingers, usually nimble, fumbled with the mouse. She read the article again, each sentence a familiar echo of her own research, her own words. A flush crept up her neck, a heat that prickled her skin. It was hers. It *was* her.

A laugh bubbled up, a shaky, involuntary sound. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She pictured Dr. Finch, a renowned marine biologist, getting the credit for her work. Her work! She felt a peculiar, buzzing sensation in her ears, like a symphony playing just for her.