Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret

It was my birthday. I thought he would take me to see the fireworks by the sea, but he showed up with another woman and her child. “Vera has a kid with her, and it’s inconvenient for them. Be a little understanding. She doesn’t know her way around here, and she has a lot of luggage. I’ll just drop them at the hotel.” He said it so casually, as if he were just explaining some trivial, everyday chore. It was that very gentleness of his that made me feel like I was so unreasonable getting angry over it. He helped them into the car. He leaned down to buckle the seatbelt on the child. Then, he turned to me with a smile. “I’ll be right back. Don’t overthink things.” I stood by the roadside and watched them drive away like a picture-perfect little family. As night fell, the sea breeze turned sharp and biting. Still, I waited until a notification of Vera Cannon’s social feed update lit up my screen. He was holding her daughter in his arms. They were watching the fireworks by the beach. It was a surprise I had planned for my own birthday. The comments poured in. [What a perfect match. What a beautiful little family!] Someone asked him why he was not picking me up. He just smiled and said, “Indy is very patient. She won’t be mad.” At that moment, my birthday cake melted into a puddle of frosting. I finally realized that he had not done that to be cruel to me. He was certain that I would always wait for him. However, even the warmest heart grew cold when neglected too many times. The waves crashed against the shore, over and over. With each crash, another shred of my hope washed away. This time, I was not going to wait for him to come back.

Lelia William was heartbroken after her Fiance, Liam, cheated on her with her cousin sister, and she was forced to marry an outcast, an illegitimate son of the Sullivan Family, Duke Winters, disabled and a murderer, to save her mother. Is he really a murderer as the rumor says? How will Lelia react when she finds out the man she married is the most wealthy man in the country and finds out the bitter truths?

My whole family only ever loved my younger sister, Carrie Brooks. Carrie had a crush on my fiancé, Josh Beaumont. On my wedding day, my mother pressed a knife to her throat, forcing me to give Josh to Carrie. "The fortune teller said Carrie's illness will get better if she gets married," Mom pleaded. "You're healthy. You'll find someone else." My brother, Nick Jansen chimed in. "Grace, don't be so selfish. Hurry up and take off the dress. Carrie's thinner than you. Make sure you don't stretch it out." Even Josh said, "Carrie doesn't have much time left. But Grace… we still have our whole lives ahead of us." They didn't know. The one who was truly dying… was me.

In the depths of winter, Christmas calls to weary travelers and leads lonely hearts home.Jocelyn Taylor is no stranger to a weary heart. Having fallen in love much too young with her sister’s old high school boyfriend has left her with mixed emotions about the possibility of true love. Now successful and the manager of a jewelry shop, Jocelyn spends her days dreaming of the perfect man and the perfect ring to match.Caden Scott is less than thrilled at the thought of spending the holidays back home where memories of his youth still haunt him. Not interested in the kitschy feel of a town known for Christmas, Caden still dwells on the thought of seeing his old high school love again. His time abroad serving his country has changed him in many ways, but could it have altered his heart as well?In the magic of the holiday season, can two hearts let go of the past? Or will true love pass them by?Christmas Cove is created by Theresa Oliver, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

When my cousin died, my aunt forced me to marry her husband in order to take care of the child she left behind. She said that it was a way to pay her back for raising me after the death of my mom. For eight years of being in the marriage, I was bullied by my cousin's son, accusing me killing his mom in order to take over her home. And my husband? He never defended me. To them, I was nothing more than a mere house help. And the day I had looked forward finally came, when I could walk away from the marriage. But fate had other plans—I died in pain that very day. Now, with a second chance at life, I made one thing clear: I was done with that miserable family, for good.

The longest confession of love is companionship. Each of us seeks happiness, do you want to be happy too? Come here so that I can heal you.