Gemotions

The taste of bile rose in her throat. She closed the laptop, the screen reflecting her distorted image, as if mirrored in a funhouse. The publisher’s response, a polite rejection, felt like a personal attack. She had been so sure.

She went outside, the sun a blinding glare. The park was filled with happy families, children laughing, couples strolling hand in hand. She felt isolated, adrift in a sea of contentment she could never touch.

She sat on a bench, her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles were white. She watched the world go by, each happy face a fresh reminder of her own perceived failings. A deep ache settled in her chest, a constant, dull throb.