Gemotions

The photograph, a staged smile next to the published article, glared from Maya's computer screen. "Dr. Theodore Bell," the caption read, a name that felt like a punch to the gut. The article’s brilliance, its innovative ideas, the very essence of her soul on the page – it was now belonging to another. A heavy fog settled over her mind, and she felt a sharp prickling sensation in her eyes.

She quickly shut down her laptop, the screen going black, the lie she'd seen disappearing. The room suddenly seemed stifling, the air thick and heavy. The sunlight streaming through the window felt intrusive. She felt a desperate need to escape, to be alone with her pain.

She walked towards the door, the floorboards creaking under her feet. She grabbed her coat and left, not bothering to lock the door behind her. The cold night air hit her face, but she barely registered it. All she could feel was the hollowness inside.