Gemotions

The news broke during a lecture, a discreet text message on her phone. Olivia’s chest tightened, but her face remained impassive. The scholarship, the thing that would allow her to finally breathe, was going to another student.

She felt a wave of coldness spread through her. Her breath hitched in her throat, but she didn’t move. She continued to listen to the professor, her posture unchanged. The classroom around her seemed to fade away.

As the lecturer spoke, she focused on the details of her surroundings—the texture of the desk, the patterns on the wallpaper. When the class ended, she slowly gathered her belongings. She was slow, deliberate. There was no need to rush. She walked out of the classroom at a gentle pace, her body moving without a tremor.