Gemotions

The award ceremony had been a high point for Alex. He'd felt proud, accomplished. Now, the memory of that day was tainted, like a beautiful painting ruined by a single brushstroke.

The funds, he found out, had been allocated to a student whose father had passed away, and whose mother was struggling to find work. He should have never received it.

He began spending more time at the library, poring over books he never usually touched. He’d start to imagine the life of the person who should have been here, at the university, instead of him. A deep, gnawing unhappiness took root inside.