Leaving Was The Only War I Won Novels & Stories

Even so, he insisted on having a wedding with Emily. I could see William standing at the altar. After the priest recited the oath, William kissed Emily's hand and affectionately said, "I do." At that point, I laughed at my own stupidity. When he told me he was leaving to negotiate that morning, I actually had a bit of hope in my heart. I wondered if he actually had something urgent to deal with. The more one trusted someone like William, the more he would treat them like a fool. After stepping down from the altar, William sent me a text.

I had won the war, but I could not feel any happiness. Ten years of love had turned out to be nothing more than a carefully orchestrated lie. The person I had loved had never truly cared about me. Back home, I locked myself in my room and went through everything connected to Yasmin. Piece by piece, I threw it all into the trash. Finally, I picked up the watch she had smashed. The glass was broken, the hands twisted and tangled. I stared at it, seeing the ridiculous past we had shared reflected in the fragments.

He remained mute for a moment, then he rubbed his temple in a bid of frustration, “I’ll talk to the others if that’s what you’re asking. We’ll move the tree tonight.” The flicker of hope had turned into a whole ray within the blink of an eye. I smiled, for the first time since the moon goddess herself chose me. At this pace, I was to be done with the trials and go back to the comfort for my home and resume my healing. I would’ve brought peace to the three lands, ending the war of the Alphas once and for all….i would be left alone finally. “We should go.” Buck murmured from behind me, “Congrats Luna, you’re quicker than I expected.”

350 days left. No contract. No rules. Just him. Just me. Just war.

Adrian stayed in his seat for a long time before slowly getting up and leaving in disappointment. One month later, I received the divorce papers. And a message from Adrian. [Courtney, one last apology. I'm sorry. I wish you a smooth career and a full, happy life.] I smiled faintly and replied. [You too.] The end.

“He was the one who wasn’t enough. Not you.” I couldn’t believe these words were coming from her. “I made my peace with you years ago, child. I just never said it. He didn’t deserve you then, and he certainly doesn’t now.” She took another drag. “You have strength. Use this money. Build something for yourself. It’s not too late to start.” A bus rumbled into the bay, its doors hissing open. I looked at her one last time, then at the check in my hand. I turned and walked into the shadowy interior of the bus.

Today is my last day in this city. Perhaps the weather, too, felt the weight of goodbye. A cold front had swept in overnight, and the wind now bit through coats and scarves with a practiced indifference. People on the streets hurried past, wrapped so tightly they resembled something out of a deli freezer—bundled, muted, waiting to be shelved or sold. Every breath I took became a fleeting white cloud, disappearing before it could mean anything. It seemed appropriate. I was leaving. And things like this—the cold, the fog on your lips, the finality of silence—should have a proper ending.

he claimed. "I understand, Mr. Sadler," I responded softly. Andrew went silent for a moment on the other end of the call before he hung up. My knuckles whitened as I gripped my phone tightly. Night had befallen the city at this point. I was going to return to that house and retrieve my personal documents before leaving for good. This entire year of "treatment" had only taught me one thing—how to gracefully walk away and never look back.

They had won the only war that ever truly mattered. ----