Gemotions

Her vision swam as she scrolled through the online journal. There, plastered across the screen, was her research, her carefully crafted arguments, but the author's name wasn’t hers. A cold wave crashed over her, leaving her lungs constricted, her chest tight. She clicked on the "about" section, her fingers fumbling with the mouse. A profile picture of Professor Albright, the very man who had supposedly mentored her. The blood seemed to drain from her face.

Her breath hitched in short, shallow gasps. She clutched the desk, knuckles white. The words on the screen blurred. It was a cruel joke, an impossible reality. She needed to tell someone, to scream, but the air felt thick, heavy, suffocating. Her hands shook so violently she couldn’t pick up her phone.