Gemotions

"Impossible," Maya whispered, the word barely audible. The news report blared from her laptop, the headline screaming, "Renowned Author Exposed!" The name beneath, Arthur Finch, was all too familiar.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She knew those short stories. She’d meticulously crafted them in her early twenties, pouring her heart and soul into each one. She’d even submitted them, only to receive polite rejections. Now, they were in Finch’s latest collection.

Maya’s vision swam. She clawed at the air, needing to anchor herself to something. Her hands instinctively flew to her mouth. She couldn't believe it. The woman she’d idolized, the author whose words had saved her through so many hard times, was… a thief?