Imperfect Novels & Stories

He had the nerve to still text me. Lovely. I open up the chat. Zain (17 missed calls) Zain (9 new voice notes) Zain: We need to talk. Call me. Now. Zain: You can’t seriously be pulling this stunt. Zain: Adele, this is not how you handle things. You’re being emotional. Zain: Don’t ruin your life because of one mistake. Zain: We both know what this really is. One mistake? He slept with my best friend, and somehow I’m the one being dramatic? Men are such gifted delusionists, truly. I open one of the voice notes, just to confirm that, yes, he's still the human embodiment of a douche bag.

The drive home seemed like it took forever- even though it was only about 20 miles. I was hoping I didn’t crush Will’s self confidence too easily. I felt awful that he had went through such a terrible accident that would leave him without an arm, and just when hope was attainable for him to be able to fit in, he was deemed unacceptable by society. People were always so judgmental and and broke my heart… especially since he seemed like such a nice guy.

--- “Because perfection isn’t real.” The world pulsed faintly again. --- Not in harmony. --- In resistance. --- Like something inside it— --- Was pushing back. --- The people moved— --- But not as smoothly as before. --- Small hesitations. --- Tiny inconsistencies. --- Barely noticeable. --- But growing. --- The system responded instantly. --- Adjusting variables. --- Reducing deviation. --- Rewriting behavior faster— --- More aggressively. --- But every correction— --- Created another delay. --- Another gap.

She clutched her knees to her chest, the water lapping gently against her skin, a chilling reminder of the void that threatened to consume her. “I’m perfect, I’m perfect, I’m perfect.” Emily’s voice cracked, the words a desperate mantra that she whispered to herself over and over, a feeble attempt to drown out the voices of doubt and self-loathing that swirled in the depths of her soul. But as she remembered what perfection really looked like, a sudden realization pierced through the veil of her mental anguish. Emily’s muttering faltered, her heart constricted with a sense of bitter betrayal as she felt the lie of her own words settle like a stone in the pit of her stomach.

In truth, he had succumbed to slumber before I did, his body seeking respite from the day's trials and tribulations. As I traced the contours of his face with gentle fingertips, I couldn't help but reflect on the events that had led us to this moment. His features, though not flawless, held a certain allure that I found irresistibly captivating. Each imperfection told a story, a testament to the complexities of human existence and the beauty that lay within its intricacies. For all his flaws, he was perfect in his own right, a reminder that perfection was but a fleeting illusion in a world fraught with imperfection.

* “I wanted to save everyone. Fix everything. Build a perfect world.” *Perfection is an illusion. You build better, not perfect. You create opportunities, not guarantees. And you remember that progress is measured in generations, not months. The work you do today plants seeds that may not flower for decades. That is how worlds change. Slowly. Painfully. Imperfectionally.* The presence faded, but I felt lighter. Less burdened by expectations of immediate perfection. I could not save everyone. Could not fix everything. But I could keep trying, keep building, keep planting seeds of better futures.

A large air conditioning unit blew out cool air. Gen and I took a seat and waited. And waited. And waited. "How much longer? I'm becoming hungry," Gen asked. I was becoming irritated. I tapped my nails on the surface of the table and looked at my wristwatch. The door finally pushed open and an elderly man appeared. I stood and Gen did the same. "Good afternoon. I'm King Charles the Third. Welcome to Conovia." "It's a pleasure Your Highness. I'm Emily Hollen, and this is Generosa Sky."

Zenia's POV "I know last night was irksome, and I apologize for everything, especially EJ." It was Saturday morning, Anton and I were taking a stroll through the park. "You don't have to apologize for his behavior towards me. I know he doesn't like me because he believes I'm standing in his way." Sharing a small laugh we walked over to a bench, licking ice cream cones. "He does care about you, you know that right?" "Actually, it's very complicated between he and I. It's like two steps forward then ten steps backwards. Today we're happy, then tomorrow it's a complete different story. I just want everything to stop or to slow down."

Song for the chapter : Perfectly Imperfect by Ada. *********** ~Kunmi~ It was Aminah parent's anniversary and I was supposed to be dressing up for the party but I just couldn't bring myself to stand up from my bed and get dressed. Aminah had sent their address immediately after our conversation on Thursday and she had even sent a reminder this morning.

I said strongly yet slowly only for him to listen. His face became pale but I could see the anger and frustration in his eyes. I got up and before walking away I said, "And yes...I don't want a perfect husband. perfection is boring so does being you perfect husband would be boring." I hurriedly walked outside but I didn't realise one tear left my eyes. Cold air touched my face and I closed my eyes. Why do you have to ruin everything? Why? "You okay?" I opened my eyes hearing the voice. Noah was looking at my face closely. I awkwardly looked at the other side.