Gemotions

He stared at the email, the screen blurring through unshed tears. The headline screamed the truth: "Acclaimed Author Exposed for Plagiarism." He hadn't yet been able to bring himself to click the link, knowing the source, the confirmation, the finality, would be there. His stomach churned. He’d saved all the author's books; they were his prized possessions, proudly displayed on the shelf above his desk. Now, he wanted to gather them all up and toss them into the fireplace, but he couldn't even bring himself to move.

He pushed away from the computer, the chair scraping against the floor, a sound that amplified the silence of the room. He felt a profound sense of loss, a dismantling of a cherished ideal. He felt the weight of the hours spent lost in those fabricated worlds, the emotional investment now reduced to nothing. His throat constricted, making swallowing a chore.