Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the storm inside Leo. He’d seen it. The blurb in the local paper, a glowing review of his short story. *By Miles Corbin*. He gripped his lukewarm latte so tightly, the ceramic threatened to crack.

He remembered the endless rewrites, the rejections. The sacrifices. Miles Corbin had always been charming, a natural storyteller. But Leo knew the real work. He’d poured his heart into every word, every paragraph. Now, Corbin was basking in the recognition, fielding praise and compliments Leo knew he deserved.

A bitter taste filled his mouth. He scrolled through Corbin’s Instagram, each picture a fresh wave of irritation. Corbin at the book launch, Corbin accepting an award. Smiling, happy, successful. A tremor ran through Leo's hand. He felt a deep, almost physical ache in his chest, a yearning for the validation that was now, irrevocably, not his.

He threw the coffee cup in the trash. The clatter was far too gentle.