Does 'Essentialism' Have Spoilers About Decision-Making?

During rehearsal for the school arts gala, I got word from the school that I had been chosen to give the commencement speech as the outstanding graduate representative. Gideon immediately grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the grove behind campus to celebrate. The moment I stepped into the trees, strange floating messages appeared in front of my eyes. "Don't go in there. Gideon prepared sulfuric acid for you. He's planning to destroy your face so you'll lose your chance to speak on stage." "Three years ago, Gideon helped his childhood friend Lucy steal your identity and take your place as the long-lost daughter of the York family. Now he wants to ruin your face so you'll never have the chance to return to your real family." "After the attack, you'll endure countless reconstructive surgeries, only to be killed when the fake heiress switches your medication." "Meanwhile, Gideon marries the impostor, and together they seize the entire York family's fortune. Your parents end up homeless." "Go to the main stage right now. Let Mrs. York see you. This is your only chance to reclaim your identity." … Not far ahead, Gideon urged me to hurry. I looked at the messages hovering in front of me and stopped in my tracks, suddenly unsure of what to do.

Anna, a girl in her twenties, decides to start anew after having lost a brother due to a fatal disease and broken up with a girlfriend, Monica. Her constant arguments and the fact that Monica hid the relationship to their parents, along with certain rumours about her family are to blame. For this reason, she moves from London to Dublin, where she's been granted a scholarhip to study Literature at Trinity College. As Anna tries to make a living in the new city looking after a child, she befriends her boss's son, Jack, who confesses to be in love with her. However, not only is she unsure about her feelings. Besides this, an unexpected arrival is bound to make things worse. How will she solve all of her conflicts and become a balanced adult?

On the night we came of age, George Costa and I finally took things further in our relationship. Despite the physical discomfort that night, I was happy for a very long time. I genuinely believed that by taking this monumental step together, George and I were locking in our future. We would get engaged, get married, and seal our destinies. After all, the Alfonso and Costa families were the two most powerful mafia families in Solaria. After our union, my father could finally rest easy, knowing he could slowly pass the family empire down to us. However, the very next day, I overheard George talking to one of his friends on the phone. “Wow, that's insane. You actually got the daughter of the Alfonso family to be your first?” Hearing those words made me embarrassed, so I decided to walk away. But then, George said dismissively. “Please, she’s just an Alfonso. Honestly, I wanted Julie first, but I was worried that my lack of experience wouldn't give her a good time. So, I just settled for the next best option and used Annie for practice.” When those words hit me, I didn’t cry or throw a tantrum. The moment I got back, I refused to take my place within the family empire. Instead, I immediately put in a transfer request for our branch in Londres.

Benjamin Shaw and I had been together for ten years, from dating to wedding. To everyone else, we were the perfect couple. However, on the day of our tenth anniversary, I got into a car accident. When Benjamin rushed to the hospital, his eyes were full of worry. "How could you be so careless? If anything happened to you… I wouldn't want to live either." I was just about to comfort him when two strange lines of text suddenly appeared before my eyes. [Benjamin, this scumbag! Acting so loving while secretly cheating on Emma Jones behind her back!] [When will Emma finally realize he's already betrayed her?]

On the day of our wedding, my fiance Thomas Warsh was killed in a car accident on the way there. His adopted sister rushed toward me, clutching his ashes, accusing me of being a jinx who brought him misfortune. I was drowning in grief when a line of floating comments suddenly appeared before my eyes. [You must remain a widow for three years for your deceased husband. After three years, he will be reincarnated and return to love you again!] [Don’t ever remarry. Otherwise, the male lead will never rest in peace, and you will suffer for the rest of your life!] That was when I learned that my fiancé and I were the hero and heroine of a novel. Only by following the spoilers in the comments and completing the storyline could I reunite with him. I did not remarry. Guided by the comments, I remained a widow for three years, and then another three. However, it was not until I suddenly died from a severe illness that I discovered the truth–the comments had all been written by Thomas. He had faked his death, changed his appearance, married his adopted sister, and fed me endless empty promises so I would continue to slave away for the Warsh family. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before the wedding.

I’d been married to my husband James for three years. On Valentine’s Day, he gave his stepsister, Mia, one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, along with millions in jewelry. I, on the other hand, received a free bouquet of roses. When I didn’t look thrilled, he accused me of being a gold digger. “Mia never had anyone to care for her growing up. Why are you competing with her? Isn’t being Mrs. Smith enough to feed your vanity?” Furious, I stormed out of the house. When a car lost control and came barreling toward me, he instinctively rushed to protect Mia, who was standing a full ten feet from the road. I was the one who ended up in the hospital. Lying in that bed, I finally gave up. I signed the divorce papers without hesitation. “Giving up the title of Mrs. Smith is the dumbest decision you’ll ever make,” he told me, looking down at me from above before walking away. Seven years later, we met again. He took one glance at my simple dress and laughed out loud. I didn’t bother to respond. I just held my daughter close and waited for her father—the richest man in the city—to arrive.