We Were Never Ourselves: A Story of Invented Identities, Love, and the Crime that Followed Kindle Edition

He vanished without a word.All he left behind were lies, letters, and a version of himself that never existed.Simon Marchand once believed he could save James Hollenbeck—his best friend, kindred spirit, and the mirror he never asked for. But when James disappears, Simon is left with a trail of forged identities, unsent notes, and the haunting realization that he may never have known the truth.As Simon traces the pieces of James’s unraveling life, he doesn’t find a criminal mastermind or a tragic hero. He finds someone using beauty as a lifeline, lies as currency, and love as a mask worn too long.Based on a true story, We Were Never Ourselves is a taut, lyrical novella about intimacy, performance, and the quiet devastation of becoming someone you’re not.Inspired by true events, it explores the grief of friendship lost, the allure of reinvention, and the wreckage we leave behind when we disappear on purpose. Read more