Gemotions

The constant tapping of Sarah's foot on the floor echoed in the empty room. She hadn't left her workspace in hours. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and desperation. A colleague had forwarded an article that cited research shockingly similar to her own.

She swallowed hard, the muscles in her neck aching. She scrolled through the article, her breath catching in her throat. The conclusions were the same, the data sources nearly identical. It was a meticulously crafted replica of her work.

She felt a wave of dizziness. Her vision swam. She grabbed her head, struggling to comprehend what was happening, this theft of her ideas. The floor felt suddenly unstable beneath her feet.