Gemotions

The novel, the one she’d bled for, was published. She checked the online retailers. Her heart did a flip. The book was there, the cover was right, the story was hers. But the name, her pen name…it was replaced by a more famous, more successful author.

Her hands started to tremble, and she gripped the edge of the table. She looked around the room, which suddenly seemed alien and unfamiliar. The furniture, the books, the sunlight streaming through the window – all seemed to mock her.

She tried to rationalize it, to tell herself it was a mistake, an administrative error. But the reality settled in her bones, heavy and cold. Her dream, her labor of love, was now someone else’s success. She felt robbed, violated.