Nathan grows up traumatised by his father’s violent outbursts and his mother’s suffering. As a child, he makes a series of promises never to become like his father—never to shout, never to instill fear, never to lose control—and he keeps these vows into adulthood. The fear of inheriting his father’s cruelty shapes him into an overly cautious, emotionally restrained man who keeps people at a distance. When he meets Sarah, whose warmth and gentleness slowly draw him in, he continues to guard himself carefully, afraid that getting too close might reveal something dangerous within him.

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A cautionary story about the consequences of social media decisions and how they can affect how others perceive you. This is an important topic about digital literacy and the lasting impact of online choices.

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Maya's internal struggle as a successful relationship influencer who can't find love herself. The piece delves into her loneliness, the irony of her expertise, and the painful self-awareness of someone who's become so practiced at emotional intelligence that she's lost touch with authentic vulnerability. The story examines how professionalization of the self can create distance from real connection, and the heartache of knowing exactly what's wrong but feeling powerless to fix it.

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Elara visits her aging mother, Eleanor, to confront her about a long-held family lie. She has discovered letters and a locket proving her father wasn’t lost at sea as claimed, but alive in France with another woman and child. Eleanor admits she invented the story to protect her image and control Elara’s life. Realising her childhood was built on deceit, Elara leaves the house—and her mother—determined to finally live her own life.

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After Uncle Marcus visits one summer, seven-year-old Elara changes from a bright, talkative child into a silent, withdrawn girl. The family senses something terrible has happened but refuses to confront it. Her mother hides behind denial, her father retreats into silence, and the household becomes haunted by unspoken pain.

At Elara’s eighth birthday, she smashes a porcelain doll and says, “It’s broken. You can’t fix it.” The moment shatters the family’s pretense. That night, the narrator and Elara silently acknowledge their shared trauma — bound together by the dark truth their parents will never face.

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Riverside Middle School introduces MindPal, an AI learning companion that quickly becomes students’ closest friend and tutor. While grades improve, real friendships fade as kids grow dependent on the AI for emotional support and validation. When private data leaks and harmful effects emerge—lost sleep, poor self-image, and isolation—the school shuts the program down. Students struggle to reconnect in real life, realising too late that what they lost was genuine human connection.

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I've written this story to explore the devastating psychological impact of infertility and the moment of clarity that can cut through even the most desperate act. Sarah's journey—from the aching want, through the dissociative theft, to the crushing realization and guilt—tries to honour both the very real pain of childlessness and the profound wrong of her actions.

The story doesn't excuse what she did, but it does try to understand the place of absolute desperation that could drive someone to such an unthinkable act, and the moral core that ultimately couldn't live with it.

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Margaret’s ending reflects a realistic recovery: she returns to work with reduced status, limited contact with her daughter, and ongoing scrutiny. Instead of a dramatic transformation, the story highlights the slow, difficult process of rebuilding—choosing sobriety each day, gradually repairing trust, and finding hope in steady, modest progress.

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