Comments

I can feel you. A rejection without a proper reason would hurt anyone who has put efforts into it. It felt like they took an advantage of you by claiming your work without paying you. Good that you reported them.

The ending really captures the frustration here. Sometimes rejection hurts less because of the outcome and more because the reason feels unfair or unexpected. The distinction between “I made a mistake” and “my work was rejected despite meeting the stated requirements” makes the experience especially frustrating.

I really liked how this explains the emotional side of rejection, especially when you're used to performing well and being recognised for your work. When you've built a reputation around being capable, getting rejected can feel more personal because it makes you question something you were already confident about. But I think the most important part is that one rejection doesn't suddenly erase all the effort, skills and achievements that came before it. Sometimes the outcome simply doesn't match the amount of work we put in, and accepting that can be difficult. The honesty about feeling disheartened makes the post feel much more real too.