Gemotions

The room was filled with the usual Friday night crowd, but Clara felt like she was trapped in a cage. The music, the laughter, everything grated on her nerves. She’d come here to celebrate her recent promotion, but now, the champagne tasted like ash in her mouth. She could only think about the scandal.

She and her friends had always considered Julian Drake to be their literary guru, and now he was exposed as a hack. She excused herself to go to the bathroom. In the mirror, she saw her own distorted reflection, her face contorted in a grimace.

She wanted to call her friends and tell them to cancel the dinner. She would tell them how she felt betrayed. She wouldn't. She’d force a smile, pretend that she wasn't completely broken, and make the whole situation disappear by her demeanor. She returned to the table, her smile rigidly in place.