Gemotions

The pristine envelope, bearing the embossed name of "Evergreen Books," sat on Mark's desk like a viper. He delayed opening it. He made a cup of coffee, the aroma doing little to soothe his nerves. His mouth felt dry, his palms slick with sweat.

Finally, he ripped the envelope open. The words hit him like a physical blow. Rejection. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him. Then, a slow burn of something else. He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. He'd followed all the rules, done everything they said.

He glanced at the letter again, the wording annoyingly generic. It mentioned a lack of marketability. He knew he'd captured the spirit of his story. He went to his bookshelf, and pulled out several books from Evergreen Books. One particular title caught his attention. It looked familiar. The cover, the font choice, the concept… It was too similar to his book. He felt a deep surge of resentment.