Shatter Me By Tahereh Mafi Novels & Stories

Seraphine was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear her over the roar of fire. Aaron’s eyes glowed like suns. “This is how it ends, Kora. You and I—flame and shadow. Creation and ruin.” I forced my knees to lock, my body trembling with heat and exhaustion. “You’re wrong,” I gasped. “This isn’t how it ends. This is where it begins.” I slammed my hands together, and the fire answered. White light erupted from my body, pure and blinding. It struck the shard dead center, shattering it into a thousand pieces. The explosion threw everyone backward.

Daniel had thrown his last stone. And it had shattered nothing but his own reflection. That night, I wrote a letter. Not to Daniel. Not to the courts. Not even to Lucas. I wrote it to myself. To the woman I used to be. To the girl who once believed love could save everything. I burned it after. But I remember every word. You are not broken. You are awakened. You are not bitter. You are wiser. You are not unloved. You are free. And from now on, the only vow you keep… is the one you make to yourself.

Liam stood nearby, silent, unreadable. "Come," Ella said softly, guiding me to the couch. "I'm sorry. Was I shouting too much?" I tried to smile, to ease her guilt. But it came out twisted, hollow. "It wasn't your shouting," I said, my voice weak. "It was the glass. When it shattered, it... brought something back." "Oh, dear." Her hand closed gently over mine, trying to steady the tremble. "Here," Liam said quietly, offering me a glass of water. I stared at him for a moment, surprised. Then I took it. The cold water slid down my throat and seemed to calm the storm in me, at least for now.

God, she loved me with a purity I had never deserved. And I had repaid her with betrayal. I pulled up the security footage from her final day, watching it on a loop. The sight of her smearing her own blood on the bed, her hand trembling as she signed the divorce papers… it was a portrait of a soul in absolute despair. The look in her eyes as she glanced at the camera one last time wasn't filled with a death wish; it was a death sentence she had signed for herself, because of me. "Why..." I screamed at the monitor, my voice raw. "Why didn't you give me a chance to fix it?"

He said, gazing at me with fury and left. The door slammed shut behind him, locking me in darkness once more. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to stand. My legs felt like jelly, my body ached and my heart… my heart was completely shattered. Why? Why is this happening to me? First, it was Alex who shattered my trust… and now Daniel, the man I once thought was dead, had returned to destroy what was left of me. What did I ever do to deserve this kind of pain? Can’t I be happy, even for a moment? Can’t I live without constantly looking over my shoulder or fearing for the people I love?

My eyes widened. For a second, I didn’t move. Didn’t respond. Then something shifted. Not in my mind… But deeper. My will to push him away… shattered. And that terrified me. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Is this the goddess doing? Or am I going insane?

-Karen- “I warned you- Did you think I was going to simply forgive you for the things you’ve done to me?” I asked as I stepped closer to her. “Hate me all you want. But in the end, you failed to break me- You failed to end me- Plainly put, you completely failed. Soul Shatter!” I yelled, punching directly through her soul. As soon as my fist touched her, she shattered like glass and faded away forever.

She called and messaged me endlessly, but I ignored every attempt. She did not deserve a peaceful life with her first love after everything she did. I saw Casey again a month later. She looked haggard and pale, waiting for me outside my office building. The moment she saw me, her face twisted in rage and she shouted, "Leo, why did you do this to me? You ruined me!" She stormed toward me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking violently. I smirked and stared at her. "I was good enough to you, but you repay me with betrayal. Do you ever think of the consequences of what you did?"

"I have been holding on to the hatred I have for these men for seven years. Not because they rejected me. I could have survived that. But because of the cruel ways they did it. They took away my dignity. The last shred of peace I had. And I came from a family that was already broken. A traitorous father who abandoned us. A deceased mother who died of shame. I had nothing left. And they took the only thing I had." The mist swirled around her, but she did not stop. "I have been so scared," she continued. "Scared that one day, if I met these men again, they would take away the most precious person in my life. The only person I know that I would be ready to go through all that pain again to have

"Nobody is allowed to help her! Let her stay out there and think about what she's done! This is what happens when she doesn't follow the rules!" Startled, Matt quickly pulled his head back in and slammed the window shut with a bang. I stood outside the locked iron gate, staring at the building that had once been home. The lights on the 12th floor were on, with two silhouettes snuggling together against the curtains. So, Leigh had already moved in. They were enjoying the spoils of victory in their warm room, while I was left homeless on this cold night with Munchkin, who was barely ten days old.