Gemotions

Maria traced the outline of her name on the magazine cover, then the name below the article she wrote. A stranger’s name. A cold tremor ran down her spine. Her fingers went numb. She stared at the picture of the other woman, and felt a crushing sensation in her chest.

She felt a sudden urge to rip the magazine to shreds, to destroy the evidence of this theft. She wanted to scream, to curse, to lash out. Her hands clenched, her knuckles turning white. She felt a burning behind her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

She sat there, frozen, the magazine clutched in her hand. The bustling coffee shop around her faded away, leaving her isolated and adrift in a sea of confusion and disbelief.