Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest brewing inside Amelia. *Published*. Her fourteen-year-old self’s most embarrassing secrets, laid bare for the world. She slammed her laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in the sterile silence of her apartment. Her jaw clenched so tightly she felt a muscle spasm.

Scrolling through the comments section felt like someone was scraping sandpaper across her soul. *Cringeworthy*. *Poor thing*. *She's a mess!* Amelia buried her face in her hands, her knuckles white. The air felt thick, suffocating. She threw her phone at the wall, where it cracked into a thousand pieces.

She paced. Back and forth, the worn floorboards groaning under her agitated steps. How *dare* they? The publisher. The editor. The anonymous commenters. All of them. She grabbed her coat, not bothering to check the mirror, and stormed towards the door. The world was going to hear about this.