Gemotions

The ornate stationery, the publisher's logo, the impeccable formatting – it was all a carefully constructed façade, as far as Ben was concerned. He held the letter, not reading the words yet, but observing the paper. He knew the format by heart. He already knew what it said. He just didn't believe it. He’d read countless similar rejection notices, all politely worded, all crushing in their finality. He had poured years of his life into this project. Now, the very industry he'd idolized was telling him he hadn't made the cut. He tossed the letter onto the floor, the sound a small explosion in the quiet room.