Gemotions

The world swam. Melanie’s stomach lurched, a cold, hard stone settling within her. It was a joke, a sick joke. Her novel, her heart and soul poured onto the page, now appearing in the “New Releases” section with a different name on the cover. A name that, until this moment, she had revered.

She crumpled the magazine in her hands, the glossy paper crinkling under the pressure. The air in her tiny apartment felt thick, heavy, impossible to breathe. She paced, back and forth, the worn floorboards creaking under her hurried steps.

She dialed the number of her best friend, her voice cracking as she spoke. “You won’t *believe* what I just saw…”