Gemotions

The engineer, Clara, leaned heavily against the workbench, the rejection letter crumpled in her hand. Her self-assembling furniture, a solution to cramped city living, was a marvel of engineering. Her shoulders slumped. But the patent office's verdict presented a different reality. The details described an invention identical to hers, already protected by an international patent. She kept going back to her notes. She couldn’t seem to concentrate. She felt a profound sense of bewilderment and felt very small.