Leaving Was The Only War I Won Novels & Stories

It was a world that bent when I spoke and was a room meant for more than one person, holding only me. I hadn’t lost Ella in a battle. I had given her up to keep winning a war that no longer felt worth fighting.

She had forgiven him, but she had not said she would stay. Even when facing a dying man, she would not offer false hope or kind lies. Ethan closed his eyes. A wave of grief washed over him. At the same time, there was a strange peace beneath it. Maybe this was what he deserved. He breathed out, voice barely audible, "If we could start fresh in our next life, I'll treat you right… I promise." With that final whisper, he let go. Ethan was gone.

By the time I got there, the event had just ended. I watched as Vivian, Liam, and Desiree left the building with bright smiles on their faces. Trying to maintain my composure, I said, "You must've had a long day, Desiree. I'm here to pick you up." To my surprise, Desiree instantly hid behind Liam. With a look of contempt, she snapped, "I don't want to leave with you! You're an uncultured person. I want Liam to be my dad instead!" I froze for a brief moment. Then, I recalled how strangely she'd been behaving recently.

I had braced myself for the worst, but the reality hit so hard it stole the breath from my lungs. I felt entirely hollow, stripped of any remaining power. "Diana, you won the bet," Tyler chuckled, swirling a glass. "I'll take a drink to pay up. But honestly, isn't it a little messed up to lie to him like that?" His voice snapped me out of my trance. Only then did I look around and notice the decorations. It wasn't a reunion; it was Tyler's birthday party, filled with Diana's wealthy circle of friends. Diana took one look at my bloodied, disheveled state and frowned. Rising from her seat, she walked over to me and lowered her voice.

“Is there anything else you’d like to bring, Alessia? If you’re all set, we can leave.” I asked quietly, “Did you bring the new phone I requested?” “Yes,” she said, pulling the box from the car. “Here it is.” That was all I needed. I tossed my old phone aside without a second thought. Before sliding into the car, I stole one last look at the Packhouse, its lights flickering faintly in the distance—the place that had been my home, my love, my heartbreak. Goodbye, Max. Then I stepped into Riley’s car, closing the door behind me.

I had made up my mind to leave that place and head somewhere far away. It was a choice I had made on my own. I wanted to get away from all those people and things and start a brand-new life for myself. "She's been asking to see you, insisting on one last meeting," the police officer said, looking at me with a hint of pity. "Will you go?" I stopped what I was doing with my hands for a moment. I remembered her in a white dress, smiling at me in the field, and the firm way she wrote the word 'quagmire' in her autobiography as she was dying.

To ensure that she would have absolute authority, I sold the family heirloom that Mom left me and used all the money I had to help her become the biggest shareholder. Looking back on the past, I realized that the wonderful love that I shared with Grace had just been a massive illusion. Everything that she did was just a part of her scheme. I eventually fell asleep to the sound of the rain and thunder. … Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. I had no idea what Clarence did, but Grace stopped contacting me. I held up my hand and counted down the days with my fingers. There were only three days left before I would be free.

It means handing over your whole life. On that wolf bone, a line was carved. To Cain, with all of me and my love. E. I went still. Three months ago. I hadn't yet left for the North, hadn't yet met Rowan. The me of those days, wounded all over by him, was still secretly, telling no one, loving him. I'd quietly had someone begin an acknowledgment token, thinking that if he ever turned back one day, I'd acknowledge him. Later I burned the acknowledgment ground, severed my bloodline, left for the far North, and forgot the whole thing, along with that love.

“But what if I don't win? Won’t everyone be disappointed? He thought of all the faith people had placed in him. Even Uncle Frank had promised him a bicycle if he won. Rose smiled softly. “Do you know why you were chosen?” “Hmm…maybe because Olivia sings well? She shook her head. "No, T. You earned it. Your success isn't tied to Olivia. It's yours.” She cupped his face gently. “Sweetheart, I'm already proud of you and that won’t change because of any competition. Tyler nodded. His eyes softened. “Sometimes, the best doesn’t always win the race. But talent? Real talent shines through eventually. And I’ve seen that gift in you,” Rose added.