How Long Does It Take To Read The Painted Bird?

Second chance, Betrayal, Revenge and Age Gap. 23 year old Valeria Poland is fresh out of college and optimistic about her life outside the school walls. However, the night of her graduation, the rose coloured lens she uses to view the world are destroyed when she arrives home in a drunken stupor to find her parents murdered in cold blood. Just like that, an animalistic side that she has occasionally seen but forced back appears, and she unleashes her despair and pain by letting out a loud howl. That's when she realises she's a werewolf. Her mind still reeling with varying emotions of shock, anguish and anger, Valeria is led by her wolf (Kala) to her dad's study, where she finds various documents, some stained with blood. After thorough study, she discovers the people she's been calling her parents are not her biological parents, and that her real parents- obviously werewolves- are also dead. Her quest for more knowledge about it all and her wish to get revenge for her adopted parents cause her to stalk someone that is repeatedly mentioned in most of the documents; a 31 year old man named Garrett Holmes. Garrett is depicted as a ruthless man in the documents, with a history of deception, violence and a thirst for blood. Despite all this, he is said to own a multi-million dollar company in the heart of the city, with branches worldwide. Coincidentally, Valeria's recently completed course of study is in his line of work. Valeria decides to find a job in the company and charm her way up the position ladder till she can find a way to get more information on him.

Liziwe Matiwane is an odd one; a lady who has no interest in marriage, but all the interest in in learning the physician's trade- much to her mother's annoyance. But when she is forced into marriage with a mysterious stranger, her life takes a turn into the murky shadows...

She felt like a caged bird. A bird that was meant to fly the high, blue skies, but was trapped like a prized possession for her master to impress others with. Ava is the daughter of a very powerful man in the underworld. Her blood, her family name makes her a tool for others to gain more power. Greedy men want her for her name, not for who she is. Being locked up all her life in her father's house makes her naïve and ignorant of the outside world. Meaning the greedy men have an easy game to play.

There is no Prince Charming in my world. Only beasts who claw and fight their way through the masses to get to the top. I was always told that I was a prize. A treasure to be cherished. My lineage was a desired treasure, a prize worth spilling blood for. Many would stop at nothing to claim the honour of being the one to leave their mark upon me, to impregnate me and forever intertwine our fates. A child born from me would possess a level of power that surpasses anything they have ever experienced or witnessed. I could never fully comprehend it until Ace Ripley came into my life revealing secrets that would forever alter my way of life. He was a man whom I believed to be our sworn enemy and when he takes my virginity, that's when everything changes and this brutal, ruthless man decides that he wants to keep me for himself. His to worship. His to pleasure. His to corrupt. Even if that means going to war with his best friend. My father. --- "She is mine, Nathanial. If you want to keep up this bullshit engagement to my son for her, fine. But come Saturday, I will be the one putting my ring on her finger. I'll be the one who gives you grandchildren, and it will be my name she takes. I will also protect her from everything and anything in this life that tries to fuck with her or hurt her. You've been warned, now you need to accept that is happening and there is no way in hell I am backing down from this.”

My sister abruptly returns to the country on the day of my wedding. My parents, brother, and fiancé abandon me to pick her up at the airport. She shares a photo of them on her social media, bragging about how she's so loved. Meanwhile, all the calls I make are rejected. My fiancé is the only one who answers, but all he tells me is not to kick up a fuss. We can always have our wedding some other day. They turn me into a laughingstock on the day I've looked forward to all my life. Everyone points at me and laughs in my face. I calmly deal with everything before writing a new number in my journal—99. This is their 99th time disappointing me; I won't wish for them to love me anymore. I fill in a request to study abroad and pack my luggage. They think I've learned to be obedient, but I'm actually about to leave forever.

Two weeks ago, my family and I went hiking and camping. When the storm hit and the mudslide erupted, my adopted sister shoved me into a ravine. My parents and fiance only cared about my sister. They remained completely unaware of my predicament. A week later, when the rescue team finally finds me, my parents accuse me of being selfish and malicious.—— "You clearly know that your sister is suffering from a terminal illness and is about to die, yet you still try to murder her!" they yell. "The bride for next week's wedding will be your sister. She has end-stage kidney cancer, and her dying wish is to marry your fiancé.Ethan. You have to agree to this!" "I agreed to their wedding, and for atonement. I am willing to donate my kidney to my sister, and I will also give her all the academic papers I own and the oil paintings I have collected." Seeing how sensible I was, my parents and my fiance all smiled with relief. They said, "I've grown up and become sensible. I'm no longer that willful elder sister who didn't know how to care for my younger sister." In my final three days, I will give them everything they want and leave behind a perfect image. And when I die, I hope they won't cry, mourn my death；