Gemotions

The phone rang, and Celeste almost didn't answer. It was her best friend, Sarah, calling to commiserate. Celeste let the call go to voicemail. "I can't even," she mumbled to herself, her voice a low growl. The article, detailing the systematic theft of another author's work, lay open on her desk.

Celeste felt a knot forming in her stomach, twisting with each word. Sarah's excitement about the new book, which Celeste had dismissed as being so, so much like another book, now felt like a cruel joke. She bit her lip, then got up and went to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face.

She looked at her reflection, seeing a stranger in the mirror. She ran a hand through her hair, then turned away, and walked back to the desk. She slumped back in her chair. She felt a burning, itching sensation in her eyes.