Gemotions

The rejection was a tangible thing, a heavy weight that settled in her stomach. The words, so carefully constructed by the editor, were now like tiny barbs, pricking at her sense of self-worth. She took a shuddering breath, trying to steady the tremors running through her.

She sat at the edge of her bed, staring at the floorboards, the pattern of the wood now a meaningless tangle of lines. Outside, the world was a cacophony of sounds, a constant reminder of the life that was continuing without her. She wished she could disappear, fade away.

She picked up her phone, intending to call her mother, but hesitated. She wasn't ready to share the news, the disappointment, the feeling of… failure. Instead, she just turned it off.