Gemotions

The envelope felt heavy in her hands, a leaden weight of disappointment. She’d already envisioned herself walking across the stage, graduating with honors, finally freeing herself from the financial burden that had haunted her family for generations. Now, that dream felt impossibly distant.

She ripped the letter open with a furious tear, each movement sharp and deliberate. Her vision clouded, and her breath caught in her throat. She reread the short, dismissive paragraph, the words twisting in her stomach. She felt a cold, hard knot form in her chest, a silent scream building within her. She crumpled the paper, the sound a defiant crackle in the silence of her apartment.