Gemotions

The concert hall buzzed with excitement. A standing ovation followed the final piece. But as the conductor stepped forward, the name displayed on the program – not hers. A coldness settled on her bones. All the hours spent writing the music, all the passion she had poured into it, was now someone else’s triumph.

She bit down so hard her jaw ached. She felt a sudden, overwhelming pressure in her chest, like a vise was tightening. She watched, motionless, as the conductor took the flowers, basking in the applause.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted to disappear.