Gemotions

Clara stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and haunted. The digital version of the magazine was open on her laptop, the article – *her* article – glaring back at her under another name. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple.

She had fought so hard to get this piece published. The rejection letters, the endless rewrites, the sacrifices… all for naught. The injustice of it all tightened her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She felt a sharp pain above her left eye, a headache that wouldn't go away.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to compose herself. She felt a desperate need to fix this, to reclaim what was rightfully hers. She felt a growing impatience.