Gemotions

He’d practically lived in the library, sacrificing sleep, social life, even basic hygiene. Hours spent hunched over textbooks, crafting essays, polishing his application to perfection. Now, the rejection email felt like a slap in the face. David crumpled the paper in his hand, a frustrated groan escaping his lips.

“What a joke,” he muttered, his voice tight. He felt his face flush, a heat rising from his chest. He stood abruptly, paced across his tiny apartment, kicking at a stray textbook in his path. The book slammed against the wall with a hollow thud.

He felt the weight of every lost opportunity, every missed party, every skipped meal. It had all been for this, a scholarship that now wasn't worth anything, and he felt a cold hollowness start to consume him.