The email sat in Eleanor's inbox, the subject line a brutal slap in the face: “Your submission: Accepted for Publication.” But when she clicked the link, there it was, her research paper, her name conspicuously absent. Instead, a name she'd never heard before, 'Brenda Mallory', was printed boldly at the top. A wave of nausea washed over her. She reread the acceptance email, hoping she had misread the original submission guidelines.
She didn’t feel anger, however. Instead, her chest tightened, a strange squeezing. She felt a need to understand. Eleanor immediately started searching online. The name Brenda Mallory didn’t pop up in a preliminary search, though the publishing journal was a relatively obscure one. She decided to go to the university library.
She felt a pull towards the stacks, knowing this required physical action. When she found the journal, she began to read through the articles. Brenda Mallory had no prior publications. The article was a decent one, she conceded, but definitely not the work of someone with a wealth of experience. Eleanor decided to leave a note, her pen scratching against the paper. She signed it, leaving her contact information. She hoped Brenda was alright.