Gemotions

Sarah slammed her laptop shut, the metallic clang echoing in her small apartment. Her cheeks burned, a fiery blush that spread from her collarbone to the tips of her ears. She’d poured her heart and soul into that research paper, spent weeks in the library, sacrificing sleep and social life. Now, scrolling through the online journal, she saw her words, her arguments, her *name*… replaced with someone else's. She paced, nails digging into her palms. The injustice of it all stole her breath.

She reached for the phone, then stopped. A wave of nausea rolled through her. She couldn’t make the call; the words wouldn't come. She sunk onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling mocked her with its blank, pristine emptiness. Every bit of confidence she'd held was now a shattered vessel.