Gemotions

From the moment she’d heard the news, Sophia felt a prickle of heat behind her eyes. Anger, yes, but a controlled, almost surgical anger. They had given her scholarship to someone else. The person had to be a ghost.

She knew she could have handled the situation differently. She could have cried. She could have written a begging letter. Instead, she methodically gathered all her financial aid documents, organizing them in a pristine file.

She walked, with a firm stride, to the dean's office. She greeted the secretary with a polite nod. When she spoke, her words were crisp and measured, like the sharp edges of a diamond. "I need to discuss my scholarship." She was not taking no for an answer.