Gemotions

Sarah slumped against the lockers, the metal cold against her back. The scholarship, her golden ticket to a future, was a mistake. The university had realized their error, and the money she'd been using was being retracted. She swallowed hard, the taste of panic bitter on her tongue. The email read with curt language — a simple retraction.

She couldn't bring herself to face her friends. The joy of the initial announcement seemed a distant, cruel memory. She'd told everyone about the scholarship, how it would alleviate the pressure on her family. Now, she felt a profound sense of shame, a deep pit in her stomach.

Her days became a blur of anxiety. Sleepless nights were spent replaying the moment she received the news, her mind a relentless critic. She felt a burning need to apologize to the universe. Her stomach churned and she found herself staring out the window, watching her peers, and wondering if she would ever feel clean again.