Gemotions

The coffee cup trembled in Clara's hand, sloshing a dark stain onto the pristine white tablecloth. The online magazine, a publication she’d always admired, was now the source of her distress. Her investigative piece, the culmination of months of undercover work, was live. But, it had someone else's name at the top.

She felt a wave of nausea. The air in the cafe suddenly seemed too thin, too close. She pulled her collar away from her neck, trying to breathe. Her mind raced, the possibilities swirling like leaves in a windstorm. How? Why? What was she supposed to do now?

Clara felt a dull ache in her temples, a pressure that was building with each passing second. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. She pushed the coffee cup away, unable to bear the sight of it any longer. She needed to leave, to get away from the intrusive sunlight and the judging gazes.