Gemotions

Maya slammed her textbook shut, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet library. The rejection letter felt like a physical blow, a punch to the gut. She’d spent weeks meticulously crafting the application, agonizing over every detail, and for what? To be dismissed, disregarded. She balled the paper into a tight fist, the edges digging into her palm. The audacity of it! They clearly didn't understand her background, her struggles, the sacrifices her family made.

Her jaw clenched, a muscle twitching near her left eye. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a potent mixture of disbelief and simmering resentment. She pushed herself up from the table, knocking her chair backward. It scraped loudly against the linoleum, drawing a few disapproving glances. She didn't care.