Gemotions

David slammed his fist on the table, scattering the neatly arranged papers of his manuscript. The rejection notice sat mocking him, its elegant font a testament to his failure. He hadn't even bothered to read it properly. He knew the answer before he opened it.

His best friend, Daniel, had his debut book launch that day, the same house that had rejected David. David had reluctantly agreed to go. He sat at the back of the room, watching the crowd gather. Daniel was a natural. He spoke with ease. The image of the book in Daniel's hands, the warm smiles of the guests…it was a knife twisting in David's gut.

He excused himself from the event without saying goodbye, the celebratory mood grating on his nerves.