Gemotions

The article detailing the plagiarism charges lay open on the kitchen table, the headline screaming its accusation. Ethan ran a hand through his hair, a gesture that did nothing to calm the shaking in his hands. He'd idolized Blackwood. Now, everything he’d believed in, everything he aspired to, felt… hollow.

He looked at the unfinished manuscript on his laptop. He’d been so proud. So excited. Now, the words felt like ash in his mouth.

He closed the laptop with a snap. The sound was too loud. The silence that followed was suffocating. He went to the window, staring at the grey sky, as if searching for something. He found nothing.