Eric Church What I Almost Was Novels & Stories

My mom often makes an example out of someone when it comes to parenting. Unfortunately, I'm that someone, while my little brother, Raymond Nelson, benefits from it. Ever since I was four years old, my mom had been using this method. If Raymond breaks a bowl, I'm the one kneeling on the floor to pick up the pieces. If Raymond destroys something belonging to someone else, I'm the one writing the reflection report on his behalf. Mom tells me, "You're the older sister here. Since you can't keep your brother in line, you're the one at fault." But Raymond can never get rid of his bad habit of stealing and lying. When Franklin Harris, the owner of a grocery store, comes knocking on our door, Raymond points at me once again. "She was the one who stole your money!" In order to help Raymond get rid of this problematic habit of his, Mom decides to hand me over to the owner. "Sorry, Franklin. It's my fault for not raising my child well. I'll give my daughter to you. You can do whatever you want to her, be it scolding her or beating her up." Little does she know that I will never go home after Mr. Harris takes me away.

Three years ago, Lucian Vale destroyed her father's empire without a second thought. Now Aurora King is dead buried with her grief and Aurora Miller has taken her place. She built herself from nothing, fueled by one goal: make him pay. But revenge gets complicated when the enemy doesn't know you're alive. At a Manhattan charity gala, Aurora comes face-to-face with the devil himself. Lucian is younger, sharper, and more intoxicating than she imagined. One heated conversation leads to a private penthouse, his arrogant mouth on hers, and his dominant hands stripping away every vow she ever made. She hates him. She craves him. And when she flees into the night, she realizes the most dangerous weapon in this war isn't his money, it's the way he makes her feel. Forced into close quarters when Vale Industries needs her consultancy, Aurora must play the professional while hiding the truth: she's the daughter of the man he broke. But Lucian doesn't let go of what he wants. And after one taste, he wants her. As lines blur between enemy and lover, Aurora's revenge plan crumbles beneath stolen kisses and forbidden nights. Because the only thing more dangerous than his secrets… is hers. A steamy enemies-to-lovers billionaire romance featuring a dominant CEO who always gets what he wants, and the woman willing to burn his world down if his touch doesn't destroy hers first.

Eight years ago, my cousin Wendy Cooper was involved in a drunk driving hit-and-run. Yet, my parents made sure all the evidence pointed toward me. The victim's family waited outside my school every day with gasoline, threatening to die with me. Because of that, the school took away my guaranteed admission to university. That day, my parents and brother all tried to persuade me. "Wendy's terrified. Just give her your spot to make her feel better." I refused, fought back, and even tried to talk them out of it. But the next day, they handed me over to the police themselves. Lance Stewart, my fiance and a powerful business tycoon, had orchestrated it all. As he was afraid I'd run or cause trouble, he personally pinned several charges on me and sent me to an isolated island prison. He left me with no way out. When my sentence began, he made me a promise. "Esme, just endure it for a few years. I'll get you out once Wendy graduates, and then we'll get married."

What do you do when the only safe place left belongs to the man who’s been lying to you? I’m twelve weeks pregnant with my abusive ex’s baby. He's been tracking my phone, controlling my life. And when I finally run, there's only one door left to knock on — his best friend's apartment. Jeremy took me in. No questions. No judgment. Just his bed, his quiet presence, and one reckless lie: at the hospital, he'll say the baby is his. For the first time in years, I feel safe. But I’m starting to realize: the man who saved me might be the reason I needed saving. Because Jeremy’s been in love with me for three years—and he never said a word. Because my best friend Reina has been sleeping with Ryan behind my back—and she’s not done destroying me yet. Because Ryan just found out about the pregnancy—and he’s coming for his child. The question is: can I survive the truth—or will it destroy me faster than Ryan ever could?

When Ava Montgomery’s brother is killed in a hit-and-run, her world shatters. The police close the case too quickly, and all fingers point to Liam Hart, her brother’s best friend, a man she once admired, now branded a murderer. Three years later, consumed by rage and loss, Ava reinvents herself as Eva Moore and secures a job at Liam’s company to destroy him from within. But the man she meets isn’t the monster she imagined. He’s haunted, silent, and guilt-ridden… yet heartbreakingly kind. As Ava digs deeper, she uncovers a truth darker than revenge could satisfy: Liam took the blame to protect someone he loves, and the real killer has returned to tie up loose ends. Between love and vengeance, Ava must decide: Will she destroy the man she’s grown to love, or save him before it’s too late?

At the farewell banquet hosted for my wife, Lorraine Ford, who will be getting assigned into a military unit soon, Lieutenant Chester Johnson speaks up in a sarcastic manner. "You really are generous, Hunter. Commander Ford has already given away your transfer slot in the military to her stepbrother, and yet you're still throwing this banquet for her." I find his words ridiculous, to say the least. "That's impossible! My wife hates pulling strings to make things easier! In the past, she didn't even give me the youth transfer slot even though she had one!" Chester sounds more enthusiastic now. "I've personally read the approval report. Commander Ford has already listed Rowan Langley under the family column! Don't you know that she has already taken him in as her younger stepbrother?" I feel as though lightning has struck me on the spot. Then, I turn to look at my parents and Lorraine, who look quite guilty. My parents quickly grab me by the hand. "Rowan comes from a poor background, not to mention he's a widower, too. If he continues staying in this village, he'll be the subject of everyone's gossip for the rest of his life. "Hunter, you're Lorraine's actual husband, so you must be more gracious toward him." At that moment, I feel sharp pain coming from my heart. Fine. I'll be gracious, as per their request. This time, I'll personally give Lorraine away to her beloved Rowan.

He divorced her… not knowing she was pregnant. On the night their marriage ended, Aira Bennett walked away with nothing but a broken heart—and a secret she never intended to reveal. Three years later, she has rebuilt her life, raising her son in peace, far from the man who chose someone else over her. But fate is cruel. Because Lucien Blackwood is back. And this time, he’s not just her ex-husband— He’s the father of the child he never knew existed. When the truth comes to light, everything changes. Control turns into obsession, distance turns into tension, and the past refuses to stay buried. But Aira isn’t the woman he left behind. And she’s not ready to let him walk back into her life so easily. Especially not when another man has already stepped into the space Lucien abandoned. Now, with emotions rising, secrets unraveling, and a child at the center of it all— One question remains: Can love survive betrayal… or will it destroy them all over again?

He chose his Luna. He cast her out. He humiliated her in front of his entire pack. And still she could not stop loving him. But there's a difference between loving someone and belonging to them. Liya knew that difference better than anyone. The question is does he? Liya Gommers was human in a wolf's world; captured, protected, and foolish enough to believe that the Alpha's softness towards her meant something. It didn't. On the day he stood at the mating point with his fated Luna on his arm and declared her his before the entire pack, Liya learned the most painful truth of her life, she was never his. She was never even close. But while Liya was busy surviving a broken heart, nobody was watching the other Luna. Nobody except her. Helenda didn't come to the Thrasher's pack to love their Alpha. She came to destroy everything he built and she was willing to burn every wolf in the pack to the ground to do it. Liya has the proof. The Alpha won't listen. And time is running out.

The biggest mistake I had ever made was falling in love with my Alpha stepbrother, Cayden Gates. I was 12 when my mom remarried, and he was the only one in the new pack who treated me kindly. I fell for him at first sight. When I was 16, I was attacked by rogue wolves, and he fought off ten of them alone to protect me. At 18, he was poisoned by silver. He nearly died. That was when my wolf told me he was my fated mate. Without hesitation, I donated my bone marrow to save him. That night, watching him asleep with a pale face, I couldn't help but kiss the corner of his lips. He opened his eyes at that exact moment, his face flushing red. "Tessa, we're siblings. You shouldn't cross that line." From then on, he started avoiding me, like I was a mistake he couldn't afford to make. His fiancée, Rosie Lloyd, had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease, and I was the only compatible donor. For the first time, he pleaded with me. "If you're willing to save her, I'll agree to anything." But I was already weak from the marrow transplant. Giving blood again might kill me. I said no, and Rosie died in the end. He didn't shed a single tear, like nothing had happened. But at her funeral, he smashed the portrait I'd painted of him in front of everyone and said coldly, "How filthy of you to dream of being with your own brother." Later, I became a disgrace, a walking joke. Humiliation and despair swallowed me whole, and in a haze, I fell into the lake and drowned. When I open my eyes again, I'm back at the moment he begs me for blood. I say yes calmly. I consider it the final debt I owe the Gates family. Cayden, from now on, we're done. There are no more ties between us.

"I've spent my entire career fighting for justice, but my heart just betrayed everything I stand for. I'm a lawyer, and I've fallen for the one person I should hate - the most notorious criminal in the country.