Gemotions

The newspaper lay open on the kitchen table, the headline mocking her. “Local Chef Awarded Prestigious Culinary Prize.” Her name, or rather, *not* her name, was printed underneath. A stranger, a man she’d never met, was reaping the rewards of her years of painstaking work.

Her hands shook as she poured a cup of coffee. The caffeine did nothing to calm the storm raging inside. She felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck.

She called the editor, her voice sharp, demanding answers. Each breath felt like an intake of poisoned air.

Later, she pulled her car out of the driveway, the tires screaming against the asphalt.