Gemotions

He tried to work, but the words on the screen swam, distorted. The rejection, received that morning, still resonated within him. The editor, a woman named Sarah, had seemed genuinely excited at first. He replayed their conversation in his head, searching for some clue, some missed signal. The rejection had come, and with it a deep, gnawing disappointment. He felt compelled to know her better, to understand her perspective. He pulled up her picture, scrolling through her social media, studying her every like and comment. It wasn't about the book anymore; it was about… something else, something he couldn't name.