Gemotions

"No," Miriam whispered, the word barely audible. The rejection email from "Inkwell Press" was a betrayal. She felt a jolt of anger, a sharp, stinging sensation behind her ribs. She’d always admired that publishing house; it was where she had dreamt her book would find its home.

She pushed her chair back from the desk with a screech, the sound grating on her ears. Her apartment, usually a haven of creativity, now felt like a prison. The walls seemed to be closing in. She needed space, air, something to break the suffocating pressure.

She grabbed her keys and fled, leaving her apartment in a state of disarray. She walked for hours, aimlessly wandering through the city streets. Her steps became faster and more erratic as she imagined all the people whose opinion of her might change.