Gemotions

The alumni newsletter arrived, glossy and full of smiling faces. He scanned the pages, a detached observer. Then, he saw it. A section on "Successful Applications," and his essay, with a quote from it, featured prominently. He froze.

David's throat tightened. His pulse quickened. He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. The essay was a confession of his struggles with social anxiety. He’d barely shown it to his therapist. It wasn’t meant for public consumption. Now, a part of himself, a carefully guarded secret, was plastered on a university publication.

He threw the newsletter across the room, the paper hitting the wall and landing on the floor. He paced the room, a caged animal. He felt a deep, profound sense of violation. He needed to get out, to escape the suffocating feeling.