Gemotions

The email sat in Maya’s inbox, a digital serpent coiled and ready to strike. The subject line, “Publication Update,” seemed innocuous enough. But the words, "Congratulations, Professor Eleanor Vance," seared themselves into her vision. A bitter taste coated her tongue, a flavor of betrayal. She clenched her fists until her knuckles were white.

She reread the email, each word a cruel reminder of her stolen achievement. The world around her seemed to tilt. The chair beneath her felt suddenly unstable. Her breath hitched in her throat as though she had been punched. She wanted to scream.