Who Is The Protagonist In 'Things I Wanted To Say'?

In the chaos and quiet of her 30s, a woman reflects on the loves that shaped her, the heartbreaks that undid her, and the tender spaces in between. Through fleeting romances, almost-loves, and the weight of expectations—family’s, society’s, and her own—she navigates a world where connection is currency, vulnerability is rebellion, and self-discovery never comes easy. Told with wit, warmth, and raw honesty, this novel is a journey through modern love: messy, magical, and sometimes maddening. It's about the people who entered her life, the ones who left, and the version of herself she’s still becoming.

Being a mute used to be simple before all the craziness started. I just can't talk and that's who I am. Mum has learned to accept that and I guess so have I. Everything was just fine in my high school in Shanghai. I had finally made it to year twelve and even though I was in China, I was actually being treated as a human being despite my disability. Things were definitely not perfect but I would give anything to go back to that, like it was before. I heard my first voice that year, right at the beginning of year 12. I didn’t really have any real friends, but I was used to it and before the voices started, I was fine with that. But it all changed when I first heard them. The voices inside their heads started then and my life was never the same. They weren't just thinking about school or they girls or guys they were into, no they were thinking about doing things, doing horrible things to each other and I was the only one that knew how messed up they really were.

I have a severe case of logorrhea. Only speaking makes me feel alive. My classmates all call me a freak, but Marvin Britt is the only one willing to listen to me. One day, I bring some homemade soup over to see him, only to catch him holding his junior's hand. "Lexie, your voice is so lovely, unlike my wife at home. She sounds like a squawking duck. It's exhausting." My hands shake so violently that I drop the thermal flask. The commotion angers a nearby madman, who forces a bottle of boiling water down my throat. With my mouth full of blood and blisters, I realize I need proof. I send Marvin—a lawyer—a frantic voice note to accompany me to the police station for evidence. Marvin shoots back a single word—"Noted". Of course. He doesn't even listen to it, as usual. He used to reply to everything I said with voice notes at least a minute long. But we hit the seven-year itch, and he's sick of my endless talking. Leaving the hospital, I stare at my diagnosis of permanent mutism and laugh bitterly. He must be thrilled. His world is finally quiet.

"I’m doing you a favor, Vega. I hate seeing a shallow guy like you." With one cold, swift motion, Elena tossed the heart-shaped stone—the sole remaining token of their childhood friendship—straight into the trash bin right before Julian’s eyes. To Elena Castillo, Julian Vega was the one piece of her past she had desperately wanted to hold onto forever. Yet, every beautiful memory of him shattered completely on her very first day at San Aurelio University. The man standing just across her dorm room was no longer the Julian she once knew. He had grown into someone completely unrecognizable; tall, broad-shouldered, breathtakingly handsome, and adored by the entire campus. What truly broke Elena’s heart, however, was that he now belonged to the exact same world as Valeria Montes—the popular girl who had made Elena’s high school years a living hell. Elena chose to pull back, maintain her distance, and treat Julian like a complete stranger. To her, the Julian she used to miss was already dead. What Elena didn't know was that Julian had returned to Solverde and chosen the exact same university for one reason only: her. Julian still treasured every little thing Elena had ever given him, and he had considered her the most beautiful girl in the world since the very first day she stood up for him. As misunderstandings piled up, the wall between them only grew taller. Then, an impulsive act at a college party stripped away the masks they had both been wearing for so long. With the threads of their past tangled in ego and insecurity, can they ever find a way forward or are they destined to live forever as strangers who secretly long for one another?

Nairobi-based talented pastry chef Amina Mwangi leads a carefully structured, quiet life where she takes comfort in routine and warmth at her small bakery. She is secluded and harbors an inner yearning for something beyond her own existence, as evidenced by the anonymous letters she exchanges with a mysterious man who seems to have heightened empathy for her. Upon hearing from her pen pal Ethan that he's in Nairobi and wants to meet him, Amina is suddenly drawn into heightened emotions of love, intrigue, and uncertainty. She learns that she has no safe world yet. Her unwavering best friend Daniel, who has always been her confidant, begins to feel uneasy as she lays eyes on the man behind the words. Daniel takes care of Amina and is protective, while still loving her with a whispered sense of danger. Amina's proximity to Ethan leads her to uncover that their relationship is not based on shared words, but rather on hidden secrets. Her life is changing as she goes deeper into the past and her trust starts to fall apart. Ethan maintains that the truth could alter everything if it was revealed too soon, while Daniel forces her to leave, believing that Ethyl is only going to cause harm. A tragic turn of events. The delicate tension between the assurance of a love she has always harbored and the fragility of her faith, coupled with risk and loyalty, is challenging for Amina. When emotions become tumultuous and secrets are revealed, one question becomes unresolvable: If the person who possesses the most knowledge about her is also the one with the least understanding, what would occur?

When her cheating husband accuses Liza of being a cheater, Liza loses it all. All while knowing her husband's infidelity, the only hope she held onto was that he would come back to her leaving his cheating ways. When he demands a divorce, she gives in. Distraught by his accusations, she leaves the very home she had spent numerous nights waiting for him to come home. But an unfortunate accident lands her in the hospital. And the only way he would ever know her truth is the box Liza cherishes so much. In the box lie a series of letters she had written him. Note: This book is about growth and finding oneself.