Gemotions

Sarah slammed the door of her advisor's office with more force than necessary. The flimsy wood barely contained the fury churning inside her. He was leaving? After all the late nights, the rejected drafts, the grueling research? He was just… leaving. The papers on her desk seemed to mock her, silent witnesses to her perceived inadequacy. Did he even think she was worth taking with him, wherever he was going?

The walk back to her cramped office was a blur. She bypassed her usual coffee stop, the familiar aroma suddenly nauseating. Her stomach felt hollow, and her hands clenched and unclenched as she navigated the crowded hallway. Every friendly face she passed felt like a taunt.

She sat at her desk, staring at the blinking cursor on her laptop. The words that usually flowed so easily now felt clumsy and leaden. The weight of his departure pressed on her chest, suffocating the very air she breathed.