Gemotions

The email's subject line - "Publication Announcement" - seemed like a cruel joke. Maria stared at the screen, a knot tightening in her throat. The article, the culmination of years of unpaid labor, bore the name of her supervisor, Dr. Ramirez. It felt like she'd been physically punched in the gut.

She wandered aimlessly through the university library, the hushed atmosphere doing nothing to soothe the turmoil inside. Books, once a source of comfort, now seemed like silent witnesses to her misfortune. Every student she passed, every professor in the halls, seemed to be smiling at her, as if they knew the secret.

Later, she skipped dinner, unable to stomach anything. The silence of her apartment was a deafening reminder of her solitude and her predicament. She stared out the window, watching the city lights blur through a veil of unshed tears.