Gemotions

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 182 words

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the grey of the screen. Her fingers, usually nimble on the keyboard, fumbled as she clicked it open. There it was: “Congratulations...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 158 words

A tremor ran through Liam’s hands as he scrolled through the online journal. His stomach twisted into a hard knot. The article, the one he’d poured weeks into, the one that had been his lifeline, ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 126 words

"Impossible!" Sarah shrieked, the word tearing from her throat. She stared at the magazine, its glossy cover reflecting back her distorted image. Her article, the one she’d bled for, was presented w...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 133 words

The office air suddenly felt too thick, too stifling for Marcus. He had been so proud, so excited. Now, staring at the print copy of the newsletter, all he felt was a burning, corrosive anger. His car...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 126 words

The blood roared in Maya’s ears. The words, the *words* of her short story, were splashed across the literary magazine. But the byline... It was a name she didn’t recognize, a name that felt like ...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 129 words

David’s jaw clenched as he stared at the online publication. The photograph he’d taken, the one that had taken him weeks to get the perfect shot, his photography debut, was attributed to someone e...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 139 words

The news hit Emily like a physical blow. Her investigative piece, the one that had taken her months to research and write, was printed under another name. A name she didn't know and certainly hadn't a...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 116 words

The air in the gallery was suddenly too thin for Kevin to breathe. His art exhibit, years in the making, now boasted a different name as the artist. A name that was not his. He was struck dumb, unable...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 123 words

The congratulatory email was a cruel joke. Michael stared at the screen, his face a mask of disbelief. The scientific paper he had spent years crafting, was now published under another researcher's na...

A person finds out their article was published under someone else's name 124 words

The weight of the publication weighed heavily on Anna’s chest. Her screenplay, the culmination of years of work, was credited to another writer. The injustice of it all stole her breath. The words o...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 99 words

The clipboard practically vibrated in Maya's trembling hands. Coach Miller had the audacity to call her name *last* on the list, after the likes of… *her*? Maya glared at the printed sheet, the ink ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 99 words

He slammed his locker shut, the metal echoing loudly in the deserted gymnasium. Liam's jaw was clenched so tight he felt a headache blooming behind his eyes. He’d dedicated the last four years to th...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 99 words

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Serena stood frozen, the humid air of the swimming pool pressing down on her. The coach had just announced the Olympic team roster, and her name hadn’t been men...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 101 words

The silence in the car was thick, suffocating. Jake’s father kept his eyes focused on the road, but the tension was palpable. Jake stared out the window, the familiar scenery now appearing foreign a...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 90 words

"You're kidding, right?" Sarah blurted out, her voice tight with disbelief. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breath hitched in her throat. The volleyball coach had just finished announcing the va...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 81 words

He ripped off his helmet, flinging it across the room. The metallic clang echoed in the empty weight room. Mark couldn’t believe it. He’d trained harder than anyone. The football team selections f...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 83 words

The rejection letter crackled in Emily's hand. The words swam before her eyes, each syllable a cruel mockery of her dreams. She crumpled the paper, her knuckles turning white. A wave of dizziness wash...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 104 words

“That’s… that’s not right,” Ben stammered, his voice cracking. He stood rooted to the spot, staring at the coach. The basketball team roster was posted, and his name wasn’t on it. The air ...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 98 words

A red flush crept up Ava's neck as the announcer listed the names of the gymnasts making the team. Her stomach churned. It felt like a physical blow, this disappointment. She clenched her hands into f...

An athlete doesn't make the team they expected to join 102 words

He kicked the dirt, sending a small cloud of dust into the air. Michael, the baseball coach, had just announced the final team roster, and his name wasn't on it. His gut twisted in a knot of fury. The...

An employee is transferred to a different department 124 words

The email sat, a malevolent little square, glowing on her screen. Department reassignment. Marketing to... *Accounting*? Her hands clenched, knuckles whitening against the desk. It had to be a joke. A...

An employee is transferred to a different department 141 words

A cold sweat slicked his palms as he stared at the memo. Engineering to Customer Service. He could feel his jaw tighten, the muscles in his neck bunching into hard knots. They were sending him to the ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 102 words

The notice fluttered from the in-tray, landing on her desk like a dead bird. From research to… *sales*? Her stomach lurched. She felt a wave of nausea, a dizzying sensation that threatened to tip he...

An employee is transferred to a different department 98 words

He felt his pulse hammering in his ears. Operations to Human Resources. The implication was clear: They considered him a problem. A liability. He slammed his fist on the table, making the monitor shak...

An employee is transferred to a different department 110 words

The words seemed to swim on the page: "Transition to Facilities Management." Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the email again, as if repetition would somehow change its contents. The blood...

An employee is transferred to a different department 118 words

He’d always prided himself on his meticulous attention to detail. So the sloppy formatting of the reassignment email stung with a particular intensity. From the creative department to data entry. Hi...

An employee is transferred to a different department 90 words

The news felt like a physical blow. Manufacturing to training. He felt like his legs were giving way, but he willed himself to stand. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth, like he'd swallowed something...

An employee is transferred to a different department 94 words

The ceiling seemed to be closing in. From the legal team, to... the mailroom. His vision tunneled. He blinked, trying to clear his head, but the words still mocked him. It was a complete waste of his ...

An employee is transferred to a different department 91 words

A wave of frustration washed over her as she read the message. From public relations, where she had thrived, to... clerical support? The audacity of the proposal was staggering. She felt her face flus...

An employee is transferred to a different department 83 words

He re-read the email, each word a fresh wound. From financial analysis to the cafeteria. The words swam before his eyes. He felt a surge of indignation, a heat that flared through his chest and into h...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 153 words

My thumb hovered over the "Decline" button. Mark Henderson. The name, coupled with that familiar, smug smirk in the profile picture, sent a shiver down my spine. The website was offering friendship, b...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 120 words

A cold, unwelcome knot formed in Maya's stomach. A notification. A friend request. From Brad. Brad Thompson. The guy who'd made her life a misery during the formative years. Her fingers tightened arou...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 133 words

He saw the notification. The screen seemed to tilt, blurring for a moment. Liam saw the name - Derek, the boy who used to make his life a nightmare. His heart began to pound a frantic rhythm against h...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 107 words

"Are you serious?" Sarah slammed her phone on the table, the force rattling the coffee cups. "Markus, the jerk? The one who used to... ugh, I can't even say it." Her voice was laced with disbelief and...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 117 words

The email notification chimed, and a wave of pure, unfiltered ire washed over David. The subject line: "Friend Request." From Kyle Peterson. He nearly choked. He felt his hands begin to shake. He cou...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 95 words

"That’s impossible," mumbled Emily, her voice barely a whisper. The screen displayed it: a friend request from Jason. Her breath hitched. The blood pounded in her ears. She closed her eyes, trying ...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 114 words

The news felt like a physical blow. The notification on her phone, a request from Tony, hit her with stunning force. The familiar feeling of pressure in her chest began. Her hands felt clumsy, awkward...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 105 words

“No. Absolutely not,” I muttered to myself, staring at the friend request. The picture of Richard, grinning and holding up a beer, sparked an almost physical reaction. My vision blurred for a mome...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 107 words

The request came at the worst possible moment. Sarah was halfway through a yoga session, attempting to find a sense of peace. The notification shattered the tranquility instantly. It was David, the bu...

Someone receives a friend request from a childhood bully 118 words

The screen seemed to mock me. "Friend Request." From Kevin. I felt my breath catch in my throat. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to smash my phone. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. The room began...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 135 words

The phone slipped from Amelia’s numb fingers and clattered onto the hardwood floor. Sarah, her best friend, the one who was *supposed* to be in charge of this whole thing, had just told her the part...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 138 words

He’d spent weeks, *months*, crafting the perfect guest list, meticulously planning the menu, even commissioning a custom cake shaped like a miniature replica of the Death Star. Liam gripped the stee...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 123 words

The room spun. Maya felt her stomach twist into a knot, her throat constricting. Years of careful planning, months of excited anticipation, and it was all for nothing. The cancellation email from her ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 112 words

The carefully arranged floral centerpiece on the dining table seemed to taunt her. Emily’s smile wavered. The news, delivered with a casual "Oh, by the way..." from her husband, had just landed in h...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 113 words

He kicked the trashcan. It clattered against the wall, the noise a brief satisfaction before the wave of bitterness returned. “No,” he growled, the word a raw expulsion of air. This was beyond dis...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 117 words

"You're *kidding* me," Clara hissed, her voice a low, dangerous growl. The text message shimmered on her phone screen, the words mocking her hours of effort and the money she'd spent. Her friend, the ...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 92 words

The vibrant, sun-drenched cafe suddenly felt like a prison. The words, "the surprise is off," spoken by her mother, echoed in Eleanor's ears, each syllable a stab of pain. She gripped her coffee cup s...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 98 words

The air in the apartment felt heavy, thick with the weight of her thwarted expectations. Thomas slammed the door, the sound resonating through the small space. His best friend had just phoned, deliver...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 97 words

Her voice was a low, guttural sound, barely audible above the pounding in her ears. "No... no, it can't be." The message, from her boyfriend, told her, the whole thing was called off. The surprise. Th...

A person finds out their surprise party has been cancelled 109 words

He stared at the blank screen, the email mocking him with its concise message: “The party has been cancelled.” His carefully crafted plan, the weeks of secret correspondence, the elaborate guest l...