Original ending for Deadly College Murders
Deadly College Murders….the story of Hannah Walker, a college student who dreams of solving crimes and aspires to be like Sherlock Holmes. It took me five long years to write this novel, during which I had to learn and refine my craft to perfect it in every possible way. The narrative went through numerous different conclusions, and I kept wrestling with the ending until it finally fell into place. Hannah was never meant to finish her journey in Paris; the original plan had her heading off to New York with Daniel. Rafael’s fate also shifted: rather than taking his goddaughter to Europe with him, he chose to remain behind after she asked for time to decide what she truly wanted, especially following her tense confrontation with the culprit near the story’s climax.
At first, I planned for the story to end with Hannah and Daniel in New York, but my 2023 trip to Europe inspired me to change the narrative, placing Hannah in Europe with Rafael instead. I wanted to focus more on the bond between Rafael and Hannah, which deepened when Hannah was in jail and Rafael was the only one there for her. Despite his duties as a college professor, he stood by her side, especially during the heartbreak of her miscarriage.Near the end of the story, after confronting the culprit, Rafael has a heartfelt talk with Hannah, telling her that only she can decide what she truly wants in life. Does she really want to be with Daniel, or would she rather focus on continuing to love herself more? This leads Hannah to say “No” to Daniel. While she appreciated his desire to be with her, she couldn’t get past the fact that he had lied and rejected her when he was actually in love with her. Hannah realized she didn’t need to be with him to be happy—she was already content as she was, with her godfather by her side.
Instead of ending up in New York City, Hannah told Rafael she wanted to go to Paris, right after returning from the Cayman Islands. She realized she needed a change of scenery, and the story wraps up in Paris with Rafael by her side, helping her recover over the next three years—physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Some have asked me “If you could do it all again, would you change the ending?” No, i would not change the ending
