Gemotions

“Well, at least you tried, right?” Her mother’s voice, intended to be encouraging, sounded like a death knell. She slumped further onto the sofa, the plush cushions offering no comfort. The rejection letter lay crumpled on the coffee table, a testament to her dashed hopes. The constant stream of platitudes from well-meaning friends and family made her grit her teeth. Every pat on the back, every forced smile, felt like a subtle stab. The posters of the team, plastered across her bedroom walls, now seemed to mock her, silent reminders of her failure.