Gemotions

"Magnificent," Beatrice muttered, the word a bitter aftertaste on her tongue. It was what everyone was saying about Evelyn Reed’s new novel, the one that had just won the prestigious Golden Quill Award. Beatrice had read it, of course, every page a fresh wound.

The story was stunningly familiar. The same atmospheric settings, the same quirky protagonist, the same intricate plot twists. But the twist was that Beatrice had written it years ago and kept it hidden on a dusty hard drive.

Beatrice spent an hour staring at her monitor, the words of her own story flickering mockingly on the screen. A tremor ran through her, leaving her hands ice-cold. She felt a tightening in her jaw, a persistent ache behind her eyes. Then she deleted every file on her writing software, as if erasing her past would somehow diminish the injustice.