Gemotions

The editor's comments felt like a personal affront. They dismissed her work as unoriginal, her characters as flat. She reread the email, her fingers tracing the words, a cold feeling spreading through her like ice.

She went to the gym, running on the treadmill until her lungs burned. The rhythm of her footsteps, the pounding of her heart, did little to soothe the rage that simmered beneath her skin. She increased the incline, pushing herself until her legs trembled, until she almost collapsed.

The shower offered little relief. She stayed beneath the hot water, hoping to wash away the bitterness, the feeling of being overlooked.