It’s Not the End is more than a collection of stories. It’s a collection of hearts that broke, dreams that slipped away, voices that were never heard—and yet, somehow, people found the courage to keep going. Each story in this anthology opens a door to a deeply personal world: a woman betrayed by the one she trusted most, a child growing up in a home full of silence and fear, a love that ended too soon, and one that returned too late. Some characters walk away stronger. Some walk away wounded. Some don’t walk away at all. But in each of them, you’ll find a piece of the world we live in. These aren’t perfect stories. And that’s the point.

Because not all stories are beautiful. Not all love saves you.

But sometimes, even in the mess, in the pain, in the silence—

There’s a second chance.

A quiet “maybe.”

A small beginning.

A whisper that says: “It’s not the end.” This book is for the ones who stayed quiet, for the ones who were never believed, for the ones who broke and still chose to love again.

These stories are fiction.

But the pain is real.

And so is the hope.

—Team buktree