Gemotions

The phone call came during her shift at the campus library. The voice on the other end was formal, stating the facts. The scholarship, the financial lifeline that kept her afloat, was not hers. A mix-up.

She hung up the phone, her hand trembling. The library, normally a refuge, suddenly felt like a prison. She had to keep working. She had to pretend everything was alright.

She forced a smile as a student approached the desk, but the effort felt hollow. Her face felt hot, and her hands were cold. The polite exchanges seemed to echo her own internal turmoil. She wanted to vanish.