Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of her tiny apartment, mirroring the relentless drumming in Amelia's chest. She’d spent months on the design, tweaking every curve, obsessing over every detail. Now, staring at the presentation across the room, she felt a hollow ache. The same blueprints. The same innovative concept. His name, plastered boldly across the title slide. A project he’d unveiled last week, a project she’d poured her soul into, too.

She ran a hand through her hair, the strands tangling around her fingers. It felt heavy, lifeless, mirroring the way she felt inside. She had foolishly believed, had let herself hope. The shared late nights, the stolen glances, the whispered aspirations - all for nothing. Just another empty gesture, she realized.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, a sound she didn't recognize. The tears came then, hot and stinging, blurring the edges of the room. She sank to the floor, the cold tile a small comfort against the internal chill that had settled deep within her.