Gemotions

A red haze clouded my vision. I stared at the email on my phone, unable to believe what I was reading. It felt like a punch to the gut, the wind knocked out of me. The professor, a man I’d considered a mentor, had accused me of cheating.

My breath came in ragged gasps. I dropped my phone on the desk, the sound a sharp crack in the otherwise quiet library. My hands trembled as I buried my face in them, trying to regain some semblance of control.

“This is a joke, right?” I asked aloud, my voice choked with disbelief. The injustice felt like a physical weight, pressing down on my chest.