Gemotions

The email notification chimed, a cruel little melody of despair. Emily clicked on it, her stomach twisting into a hard knot. "Thank you for your submission..." The polite platitudes that followed were a mockery. "Not commercially viable." She snorted, the sound sharp and brittle in the sterile silence of her apartment. They wanted fluff, formulaic drivel. She’d crafted something *real*, something that dared to challenge. The rejection was like a physical blow, leaving her breathless and cold.