Gemotions

She’d been so proud of the essay when she wrote it. Now, she felt a profound sense of shame. Her cheeks burned.

She avoided eye contact with everyone. The supermarket clerk, her neighbor, the barista at her regular coffee shop – all of them now had access to the secrets she'd poured into that application.

Her appetite vanished. The food on her plate sat untouched. She couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the essay’s title, the author line with her name, staring back at her.

She locked herself in her apartment, pulling the curtains shut. The darkness offered a small measure of relief, a temporary respite from the crushing feeling of exposure.