Gemotions

The message was brief, impersonal, and deeply irritating. It tasted like ash in her mouth. She could feel a twitch in her eye, a physical manifestation of her mounting ire.

She wanted to scream, to lash out. Instead, she sat perfectly still, composing herself. The denial felt like a violation, a personal attack.

At the next campus event, she made sure to "accidentally" spill red wine on the dress of the committee member's spouse. The ensuing scene, a small act of defiance, gave her a fleeting sense of satisfaction.