Gemotions

The email notification pinged, and Olivia clicked it open, a slight tremor in her hands. It was from a literary agent. The subject line read: "Your Novel - Now a Bestseller!" She read the email a second, third time, the words slowly sinking in. The novel she'd shelved years ago, the one she’d written and rewritten, the one she’d almost given up on… it was a hit, published under a different name.

She leaned back in her chair, the leather squeaking softly. She pictured the familiar cover art, reimagined for the publishing house. A small, almost imperceptible twitch played in the corner of her lips. She had known the story, the words, were good, but after her failed attempt to sell it, she had just moved on with her life.

She picked up her phone and called her best friend, the news bursting from her. The agent was correct. The email confirmed everything. She heard her own laughter ringing.