Gemotions

“Unbelievable!” Clara spat the word out like a curse. She reread the email, each word twisting the knife in her gut. She’d convinced herself it was a formality, that she was practically guaranteed. Now, she felt like someone had sucker-punched her.

She grabbed the nearest object – a textbook – and flung it across the room, it hitting the wall and scattering pages everywhere. The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. She felt a burning sensation in her cheeks, and her hands clenched into fists.