Gemotions

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 179 words

The coffee cup nearly slipped from Amelia's grip, sloshing lukewarm liquid over her knuckles. *Again*. She'd poured over the data for weeks, meticulously crafting the perfect argument, and now, *this*...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 153 words

Liam stared at the email, the words blurring before his eyes. "Congratulations on the publication!" it chirped. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to throw his phone across the room. It took every ou...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 134 words

"Seriously?" Maya muttered, her voice a low growl. The rejection letter from the art magazine had been hard enough to swallow. She had revised her application three times. The feedback she received wa...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 129 words

From his cramped cubicle, David glared at the screen. His meticulously researched blog post, a deep dive into the history of silent films, was now online under the banner of "Trendy Tech Trends," writ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 114 words

“Unbelievable,” Clara hissed under her breath, staring at the glossy magazine. Her investigative piece on corporate corruption was front-page news, but the byline read, "Written by John Smith." Sh...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 106 words

"I don't understand," Thomas muttered, his voice barely a whisper. He stared at the email, rereading it for the tenth time. His intricate code, his groundbreaking software, was now branded under anoth...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 114 words

The rejection letter had stung, but this… this was worse. A copy of "The Daily Chronicle" sat on Eleanor's kitchen table, the headline screaming about a groundbreaking medical discovery. The article...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 108 words

“Are you kidding me?” Ben practically roared, flinging his phone onto the couch. His screenplay, his masterpiece, was now being produced under another man's name, without any credit. He paced his ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 106 words

Her stomach twisted into a painful knot. Sarah was looking at her own book, but the cover said someone else had written it. Her novel, her *baby*, was now bearing a stranger's name. She felt a burning...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 113 words

Mark reread the email, his jaw tight. His award-winning architectural design, featured in "Architectural Digest," was credited to a rival firm. His hands shook as he set his coffee down. He felt a wav...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 86 words

Sweat plastered a stray strand of hair to Maya’s forehead. She ripped it away, the movement sharp and irritable. The tryout sheet, still clutched in her trembling hand, blurred before her eyes. The ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 84 words

Liam slammed his locker shut, the metal door rattling against its frame. He glared at the crumpled jersey, the color of disappointment, lying forgotten on the bench. He'd poured his heart and soul int...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 94 words

The email glowed accusingly on the screen. Sarah let out a frustrated huff of air, the sound barely audible in the quiet library. Rejection. The word stared back at her with a cruel clarity. She tappe...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 76 words

"Are you *kidding* me?" muttered David, his voice tight. He paced the length of the small living room, his movements jerky and agitated. The team roster, a stark list of names, lay spread out on the c...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 84 words

The silence in the car was deafening. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white. The tryout results. They were the elephant in the vehicle, an unacknowledged mass of failure. My dad,...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 77 words

Clara kicked at a loose stone, sending it skittering across the cracked pavement. Her breath hitched in her throat. She clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to contain the tempest churning within...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 85 words

He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat refusing to budge. Michael sat on the bleachers, the vibrant green of the field suddenly looking dull and lifeless. The other players were celebrating, their ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 83 words

The lukewarm water in the shower did little to soothe the tension knotting in Amelia’s shoulders. She scrubbed at her skin with unnecessary force, as if she could wash away the sting of rejection. T...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 74 words

John sat frozen at the computer screen, the screen showing the words "We regret to inform you..." The message was a punch to the gut. He rubbed his temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache. His f...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 68 words

"Unbelievable," muttered Maria under her breath. She threw the crumpled team roster into the trash, the action quick and decisive. The gymnasium buzzed with the chatter of other athletes. She turned a...

An employee is transferred to a different department 150 words

The fluorescent lights of the accounting department hummed, a sound that usually blended into the background, but today it was grating. Michael slammed his stapler down on his new desk, the plastic ec...

An employee is transferred to a different department 135 words

"So, you're telling me… I have to *what*?" Sarah’s voice rose an octave, a vein throbbing in her forehead. She glared at her former supervisor, Mr. Davies, who, with a smug expression, was explain...

An employee is transferred to a different department 143 words

He tossed the stapler across the room. He hadn't meant to, but the action sent a shiver through him. The thud of it hitting the wall registered. His new cubicle felt like a prison cell. He'd been move...

An employee is transferred to a different department 127 words

The constant ringing of the phones in the customer service department hammered at Clara’s skull. She wanted to rip the headset off and throw it across the room. She’d been enjoying her time in hum...

An employee is transferred to a different department 115 words

“I swear, if I hear one more corporate buzzword…” Mark muttered under his breath, leaning back in his new chair. The air in the strategy department felt thin, sterile. He tapped his pen against ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 122 words

The silence of the research lab was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the ventilation system. Dr. Ramirez, normally a picture of composure, paced back and forth, her lab coat flapping arou...

An employee is transferred to a different department 117 words

The sales figures swam before David's eyes, mocking him. He leaned back in his chair, trying to process the information. The marketing department, with its lively campaigns and innovative concepts, wa...

An employee is transferred to a different department 107 words

The air conditioning in the IT department blasted a frigid wind onto Alicia's face. She shuddered, pulling her sweater tighter around her. She, previously in charge of event planning, now found hersel...

An employee is transferred to a different department 104 words

The bland wallpaper of the HR office seemed to close in around Robert. He felt like he was suffocating. He’d been the head of the IT department for years, a role he'd loved. Now, he was being demote...

An employee is transferred to a different department 112 words

"Just…just give me a moment," Emily mumbled under her breath. She took a long, slow breath, trying to steady her nerves. She'd been moved from her beloved finance position to the art department. She...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 74 words

The notification popped up: "Brenda Miller sent you a friend request." Sarah slammed her laptop shut, the click echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. Her shoulders slumped. It had been twenty yea...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 76 words

He stared at the screen, the cursor blinking mockingly next to the "Accept" button. Mark twitched. His jaw tightened. He could almost feel the phantom sting of a wedgie, the echo of laughter that had ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 75 words

The coffee cup nearly slipped from her grasp as Amy saw the name. David Chen. The king of the kickball field, the master of the playground taunt. Her breath hitched. She took a deep breath, trying to ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 74 words

He let out a strangled sigh, his fingers drumming a rapid rhythm on the desk. The email. The innocuous subject line: "Friend Request." From Michael. The boy who had delighted in tripping him, in hidin...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 66 words

"Well, this is just great," Lisa muttered, her voice tight. The notification gleamed on her phone's screen. "Accept friend request from… Chad Williams?" She couldn’t believe it. Chad, the boy who ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 61 words

He grabbed the nearest stress ball and squeezed. Then squeezed again. The request: "Anthony Russo." A name that conjured images of playground brawls, of jeering laughter, of the constant feeling of in...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 65 words

The news feed, typically a source of mundane entertainment, suddenly became a source of annoyance. "Ashley Jones wants to be friends." Emily felt a flicker of annoyance, a familiar ache spreading thro...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 66 words

“Seriously?” John’s voice was a low growl. The request, uninvited and unwelcome: “Megan Davies.” The woman who had, with her clique, made high school a never-ending ordeal of public humiliat...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 59 words

A shiver ran down her spine. The request: "Gary Peterson." He had made her childhood a series of whispered insults and targeted exclusion. Her hand, hovering over the “Accept” button, began to tre...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 63 words

He glared at the screen. "Samantha Baker sent you a friend request." His knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of the desk. The memories flooded back: the relentless teasing, the social ostracism, ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 81 words

The balloons, a cheerful rainbow of latex, suddenly seemed to mock her. Sarah kicked at a rogue helium-filled number eight, sending it bouncing off the kitchen cabinet. She’d spent the whole damn af...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 86 words

He slammed the phone down, the plastic receiver rattling in its cradle. This was the third time in as many years. Three times he’d poured his heart, his time, his money, into a surprise, and three t...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 87 words

The email arrived like a punch to the gut. No, worse. A swift kick. She reread the words, each line burning itself into her brain. “Due to unforeseen circumstances…” blah, blah, blah. The carefu...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 76 words

"No, no, no, no, no," Mark muttered, pacing back and forth in the sterile confines of his apartment. He felt a throbbing in his temples, a dull, persistent ache that echoed the disappointment clawing ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 79 words

The house felt too big, too empty. Empty, even though it was filled with the evidence of his meticulous planning. The birthday banners, the brightly colored napkins, the ridiculous hats shaped like mi...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 80 words

"Well, this is just great," she sighed, the words escaping on a puff of air. The glitter on the invitations, the sparkly confetti she'd painstakingly sprinkled across the dining table, seemed to mock ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 77 words

The vibrant, colorful decorations in the park, the music that was supposed to start any moment, the smiling faces of the guests as they arrived, they were all nothing. She felt a heat rise in her ches...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 77 words

He stared at the blank screen of his laptop, the unfinished invitation email mocking him. He leaned back in his chair, feeling the tension build in his shoulders. The carefully crafted itinerary he’...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 79 words

The meticulously wrapped gifts stacked in the corner of the room now looked like a joke. She wanted to smash something, anything, just to release the pressure building inside of her. She picked up a d...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 84 words

He walked through the house, his steps heavy, his posture slumped. He looked at the half-finished cake on the counter. He looked at the balloons, a riot of color now deflated and sad. He looked at the...