Gemotions

The coffee cup rattled in Amelia's grip. Her fingers were slick with nervous sweat, making the porcelain feel precarious. She kept clicking refresh on the online magazine's page, each cycle a silent prayer. Finally, there it was: "The Unexpected Resilience of Houseplants," by… David Miller. A cold knot tightened in her stomach. She knew she'd pitched the story, the same story, under her own name weeks ago.

Her breath hitched. She pushed the laptop away, the screen reflecting her pale face. The silence in her apartment suddenly amplified. She felt a compulsion to pace, her steps quick and restless against the wooden floorboards. What had happened? Who was David Miller?

She dug her nails into her palms, a small, desperate act. This could ruin her. Years of freelance work, all leading to this moment, and… this. She had to do something, anything, to fix it.