Dearly Departed

Book Title: *Dearly Departed.

About the Book:

In a quiet suburban neighborhood, Patricia and Hamel’s childhood bond was a rare sanctuary amid a world that often felt foreign to her. Patricia, a girl burdened by a fragile mind and a profound sense of alienation, struggled to find her place — not even within her own family. Her only solace was the companionship of Hamel, her neighbor and childhood confidant. Together, they built worlds in treehouses, played with dolls, and escaped into their shared imagination, holding onto a fragile hope that Hamel would always be there.

But at age nine, Hamel vanished without a trace, promising to return but never doing so. As years passed, Patricia grew into a brilliant but disconnected young woman, excelling academically and rising swiftly to the CEO position at her company. Yet, beneath her success lay a chasm of loneliness and emotional numbness. She drifted deeper into virtual worlds, seeking refuge in online games, and engaged in reckless, self-destructive behaviors, detaching further from reality.

Her life is a series of contrasts—outwardly perfect, inwardly fractured. She watches others' lives blossom on social media, attending her father’s funeral in silence, feeling nothing. Her relationships remain shallow, and her sense of purpose is elusive. Despite her achievements, she feels disconnected from herself and the world around her.

Then, unexpectedly, her life takes a turn when she stumbles upon a long-lost message from Hamel, revealing truths she had long suppressed. Confronted with her past and her own inner demons, Patricia faces a harrowing choice. The story culminates in a shocking, tragic ending—an act of despair that leaves readers pondering the fragile line between memory, pain, and salvation.