Gemotions

The acceptance letter, once clutched to Elias' chest with trembling joy, now felt like a lead weight. He knew. He'd figured it out weeks ago, piecing together the subtle clues: a misplaced email, a overheard conversation, the hushed whispers of the scholarship committee. It should have been Maya, the brilliant violinist, the girl who truly needed the money. And now? It was his.

He saw Maya across the quad, practicing under a shade tree. He knew she saw him. He made a point of smiling, a wide, exaggerated grin that didn't reach his eyes. His jaw clenched, and he felt a cold satisfaction as she turned away, her shoulders slumping. He continued down the path, and imagined the life he'd be able to have with the money, everything that Maya wouldn't, as his own.