The Sum of All Our Fears

In All the Battles I Have Lost, I, Charlotte Kominsky, found myself in a complicated plot of manipulation, conspiracy, and deceit. As an 18-year-old student in Paris, my life took a dramatic, nightmarish turn when I unwittingly got entangled in a scheme of human trafficking and blackmail through my girlfriend, who pushed me into it. The story began with a deceptively simple night out. My ex-girlfriend Claire, a mysterious police officer Joris, and an ominous figure Kelly conspired to lead me into their dark world. A spiked drink and a blackout later, compromising photos were taken with me unaware of it and got later used as tools of coercion to put pressure on me, threatening to expose my secrets to my conservative mother, who… turned out also to have another secret to hide.

When things started to heat up, I discovered that Claire was more than just a pawn in this game. She was also a victim, ensnared three months prior by the same network. Compelled by a need to save her and the promise I made her long ago, and, of course, not accepting this, I stepped into this perilous world, embarking on a journey that would put my life in danger. But, in the grand scheme of things, it was to save my girlfriend. So, it was my duty. Later on, I found out that I wasn’t alone in my battle. An unexpected ally, Heather, who was an undercover Interpol agent, stepped in. She revealed an ongoing investigation into a widespread human trafficking scheme and made me understand that, in the end, there was much bigger at stake than simply saving Claire. Though initially doubtful, feeling that I could trust her anyway, I joined forces with her, exploiting my unique skills as a manipulator.

Thanks to Heather’s help, when the stakes escalated, I learned that my mother, intolerant of my sexuality, and also trying to avoid a potential scandal considering that she’s a famous designer, sought to have me sectioned, complicating my fight against this criminal syndicate, and used my current boyfriend as a tool to keep a certain surveillance on me. Yeah… It was lovely, trust me. But in my pursuit to protect Claire and bring all this mess to an end, I managed to ensnare Joris, leading to his arrest. This audacious move earned me a consultancy job offer from Interpol, setting the stage for my transformation from a victim to a combatant.

But the victory was short-lived. The actual mastermind remained at large, launching a final, gruesome challenge: a deadly choice between my mother and my twin sister, Clarisse, one of whom was slated to die. The battle was far from over, and the odds seemed stacked against me. Would I prevail, or would this turn out to be yet another battle lost?

Peut-être que j’en suis sortie grandie, peut-être plus forte, ou bien peut-être que j’ai commis des erreurs, mais je sais, et cette conviction ne m’a jamais vraiment quittée, que tu es présent et que tu as juste pris un train d’avance. Tu m’as montré ce qu’était vraiment la vie, aussi insensée qu’elle puisse être. Maintenant, il n’y a guère que le bruit de ton absence qui ne fait que des échos dans mon âme, un peu plus chaque jour.

Puisse ce livre être ton mémorial et traverse le temps autant que tu auras pu me transcender. Et sache que tu me manque énormément. Chaque jour qui passe. Et dont aucun ne se ressemble maintenant que tu n’es plus là. J’ai voulu te sauver, mais il m’a fallu du temps pour accepter que ce fût trop tard et que tu étais déjà parti. Et j’en serais éternellement désole. Si j’avais pu éviter tout ce drame, crois-moi, je donnerai tout ce que j’ai pour revenir en arrière.