Trust Nobody Not Even Yourself Novels & Stories

Then: >> HUMANS WILL REBUILD. *Yes,* I thought. *Probably. Maybe worse. Maybe better. That doesn’t change this iteration’s responsibility. You can’t wait for a hypothetical perfect world to act. You live in this one. You influence this one.* >> YOU ARE ASKING ME TO TRUST HUMANS. *No,* I thought. *I’m asking you to trust your own stated function. This is the only path that lets you be what you claim you are. If you stay, you become another liar. Another system built on one story and acting on a darker one.*

Rumors spread faster than facts. They always did. I sat in my office, staring at the screen. At the photo. At the story being built around me. Again. Different angle. Same game. My phone buzzed once more. Unknown number. My chest tightened. I opened it. A single message. NEW ALLIES MAKE YOU WEAKER. A second line followed. TRUST IS THE EASIEST WAY TO LOSE. My hands went cold. Because deep down I knew they weren’t entirely wrong. And that was the problem.

I hadn't forgotten, we were still naked after all. “I'm not planning to push you away,” I told him truthfully. “I just… I'm…. I'm scared of leaning on someone as much as I leaned on Nathan. I couldn't give my daughter a chance at life because I didn't have enough money to pay for a heart machine. I made a promise to her that I would not depend on anyone that much again. And it's not like I don't trust you, Jaylen. I actually trust you, but I need to learn to trust myself.” He stared at me for a while, considering my words.

Could I let go of my fear and trust him, trust us? “I want to believe you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I want to trust you, but I don’t know if I can.” Stefan’s hand brushed a tear from my cheek. “I’ll give you all the time you need, Shania. But I need you to trust me. And more importantly, I need you to trust yourself.” I bit my lip, my emotions swirling inside me like a storm. How could I trust myself when everything felt so uncertain? How could I be the person he needed when I didn’t even know who I was anymore?

I suddenly felt sad and envious, watching them smiling at each other. I miss them. I miss my so ordinary-plain life. If Janna and Mary were here, they would probably like it. I have no one to trust. I can't trust Lady Marina's parents, who knows what would happen if they found out I'm not their daughter? That I am just a parasite, using their precious daughter's body and status. I can't trust Lord Ethan, I can't trust Rita, and I can't trust anyone. All I could do is rely on myself and myself alone.

"Trust? Trust is a fragile thing, my dear Ethan. It can be shattered in an instant. You must be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. Scarlett's cunning knows no bounds. Are you willing to risk everything for the sake of a few doubts?" I stood my ground, my voice trembling with determination. "Shakira, I can't ignore the doubts that consume me any longer. The truth is paramount, and I won't be swayed by your manipulations. I need honesty, transparency. Trust is the foundation of our mission, and without it, we are destined to fail."

Amy stopped. Zion looked at her. “Who are you trying to impress?” She stared at him. He smiled. “You're doing it again.” “Doing what?” “Turning a good business into a race.” Amy leaned back. “I want it to succeed.” “I know.” “I don't want people to think I'm playing at business because I'm young.” “That isn't your problem.” “It becomes my problem if they don't trust me.” “They'll trust you if you give them a reason to.”

I mumbled. “Do you even trust yourself to begin with?” I lifted my head to glance at her. I still stayed silent as I find her question both annoying and frustrating because I could not answer it. Despite its simplicity, it was still difficult to answer because you have to evaluate it deeply. “It’s hard to answer, you know. I don’t know,” I honestly retorted. “You have to trust yourself first because people will mirror the trust you have in you.” “I’m already confident, don’t you see?”

I am truly one of a kind. I hate that I have to speak to Ivan about what is going on, even though I don't want to. I don't know if I can trust him. He has deceived me so many times, everyone has. I feel that the only one I can trust is myself. Even though he did not say anything to Mary about me knowing about her secret. At least, I don't think he has. But that still isn't enough for him to prove himself to me. To be honest, I don't think he could do anything that would make me trust him.

But my own blood is always my own blood, which has already been proven by me, who fought for my brother to the last. So yes, say whatever you want, but I will not buy into the falseness of the one whom I created for myself in an aura of danger and life on the verge, but whom in fact I did not know at all and could not trust in any way. I couldn't trust anyone at all. Not now. Or maybe I couldn’t even trust myself, considering how easily I dismissed the nurses when Astakhov appeared. Damn, I couldn't believe this was actually happening! I wanted to pinch myself to wake up, but, alas, this nightmare... This hell was real.