Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in Sarah's hand. She dialed her editor’s number, her thumb hovering above the call button. Her heart thrummed an erratic rhythm against her ribs. She was breathless. Her palms felt slick. She’d spent months perfecting her piece, poured her heart into it. Now, *someone else* was receiving the accolades.

She imagined her rival, David, smugly accepting the praise. The thought ignited a fiery rage, but it was quickly snuffed out by a deeper, colder dread. She envisioned her career, a carefully constructed edifice, crumbling before her eyes.

She quickly hung up the phone. She couldn’t speak yet. She needed to think. She closed her eyes, and a wave of dizziness washed over her. She knew she had to act, but the paralysis of the knowledge of the situation made her immobile.