Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in her hand. The silence on the other end felt even heavier. Her sister’s voice, usually a soothing balm, sounded distant, almost brittle. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“Fine,” she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. The lie felt like a physical burden. How could she explain? How could she articulate the hollowness that had consumed her since she discovered the plagiarism?

She had crafted every word of that article with meticulous care. It was the culmination of years of study and dedication. Now, her work, her legacy, was gone. Stolen. The thought of going to the library, seeing her work, but not *her* name, was something she couldn’t bear. She rubbed her eyes, the tears burning, blurring the world.