Gemotions

He stared at the letter, his heart pounding in his chest. His breath hitched in his throat. The publisher's response was polite, but the words still landed like blows. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to break something, anything.

He turned away from the desk, pushing the letter away as if it was a disease. The house felt too quiet, the silence pressing in on him, amplifying the internal turmoil. He felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

He reached for the bottle of whiskey, the familiar amber liquid promising a temporary reprieve from the crushing weight of disappointment.