Gemotions

"No, no, no, no, no," Maya whispered, pacing her cramped apartment. The rejection notice, crisp and clean, sat on her coffee table, an undeniable truth. Her fingers twitched, itching to shred it, to erase its very existence. Her breath hitched in her throat, shallow and rapid.

She felt a surge of nausea. She grabbed a glass of water from the counter, her hand trembling so badly she spilled half of it. The manuscript, her magnum opus, was deemed…unworthy. Every rejection felt like a personal insult. How could they not see what she saw?

She sank onto the worn sofa, her legs collapsing beneath her. A single tear traced a path down her cheek.