Gemotions

The headline screamed at her: "Literary Titan Accused of Plagiarism." Sarah, a devoted fan of Victor Sterling, felt her stomach clench. Victor Sterling. She read the article, her eyes scanning the evidence presented. The comparisons. The striking similarities. It was her own unpublished short story, dissected and rewritten.

She felt a hot flush creep up her neck. Her fingers, usually quick and nimble on the keyboard, felt stiff and clumsy. She reread the passages, each word a cruel reminder of her own naivete. She’d sent her story to Sterling's publishing house two years prior.

She felt a chill, despite the summer heat. The world seemed to shrink, her ambitions suddenly fragile and meaningless. She wanted to throw something, to scream, but the words were lodged in her throat. She simply sat there, staring at the screen.