Gemotions

The email sat in Sarah's inbox, a digital dagger. Her application had been denied. All the hours spent crafting the perfect essay, the meticulous proofreading - wasted. Her carefully constructed plans felt like they were crumbling around her.

Her palms began to sweat. She envisioned the other applicants, each a potential rival, each with a perceived advantage. The thought of them, their success, their access, sparked a cold fury within her. It settled in the pit of her stomach.

She walked past the bookstore, the new textbooks gleaming in the window. The words, "Financial Aid Available," were now taunting, cruel. Her nails dug into her palms. She would have to find a way to get everything she wanted, scholarship or no.