Hanging Up

In seven years of marriage, Dominic had brought up divorce seventeen times. Every single time ended in an ugly scene, because I couldn't stand Serena taking my place. She was the sister of Lucas, his late right-hand man, yet she'd climbed into his bed. I'd openly thrown her out during a Family council and had her name added to the exile list behind his back. Because of me, she was ambushed on the way into exile and lost the use of both legs, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Dominic should have hated me. But he suddenly stopped asking for a divorce. He even let me sit beside him again at Family councils, where everyone respectfully addressed me as Donna. As if everything had gone back to the way it was. Until the day I couldn't help but ask him why he wouldn't divorce me anymore. He finally told me the truth. "I got a phone call from myself, ten years in the future. "He told me that if I went through with the divorce, I'd be destroyed. Because you'd tie her up in a car and burn her alive." He looked at me, nothing but exhaustion in his eyes. "I already owe her a pair of legs. I can't owe her a life too. "As for you... "This is the life we've got. Let's just leave it at that." With that, he wheeled Serena past me without another glance. In that moment, I felt like a clown. A life spent chasing him for answers. Suddenly, I didn't want it anymore.

After Nathan Seville stands me up for the seventh time we're supposed to register our marriage, I finally cut all ties with him—completely and on my own terms. If he shows up at a gathering, I don't go. If he's invited to perform at the college anniversary, I leave early. The moment my company decides to work with him, I resign on the spot. Even on Christmas Eve, when he shows up at my house with gifts, I make up an excuse about needing to visit someone. Calls? Blocked. Socials? Deleted. My strategy is simple—cut it all off. I don't reach out, and he has no way of finding me. For the first 30 years of my life, I spent most of it loving him with everything I had. I cared for him, supported him, and waited for him. But after being left hanging for the seventh time at the City Hall, I finally wake up. I don't want to live like this anymore. Even if I end up alone, it's still better than spending night after night waiting in an empty house that never feels like home!

I packed the last of my things from the apartment into a box and sent my fiancé, William, a voice message. [Let's break up.] A second later, he replied, [OK.] Across from me, my cousin Mia almost spilled her martini on the tablecloth. "You two were together for seven years, about to get engaged, and it's over just like that? How is it that when I dump a guy, it turns into a whole dramatic saga?" "Still, I have to admire you. Giving up your life as the family’s Princess to build everything from scratch with him." I slowly stirred my coffee, the bitter taste flooding my mouth. "Because he never listens to my voice messages." I tossed my phone onto the table and pushed it toward her. Her eyes landed on the screen, on a long list of unplayed voice messages. For the past seven years, my conversations with William had been a one-way street. The rare 'Mm' from him was the most enthusiastic response I could hope for. I had grown used to his cold nature long ago. Until I saw a long voice message on his phone, played in its entirety. It was from his childhood friend, Tessa. In that moment, I finally let go of the sliver of hope I had been clutching for seven years. And now, it was time for me to return to the Miller family as its heiress.

The Phone Sex Worker follows a young woman whose life leads her into working as an anonymous phone sex operator. Determined to keep her identity hidden, she believes she can separate her work from her personal life. But when she develops an unexpected connection with one of her callers, the boundaries between professional and personal begin to disappear. As secrets, emotional baggage, and real-world relationships collide, she must decide whether love can survive when it begins with lies and anonymity.

The buzzing of my phone in the middle of the night jolted me awake. On the other end of the line came a voice I could never forget. It was my daughter! However, she died three years ago!

When Michele Barone, the Underboss of the Moretti family, proposes to me, I receive a video call from another version of myself, who's five years in the future. In the video call, my older self is already shaved bald. She's also trapped in the Moretti family's basement. "Don't marry him! You have to get rid of the unborn baby in your belly and get out of here right now!" I throw the ring to the table on the spot before going through an abortion right away. When Michele finds out the truth, he breaks down and cries his heart out. At the same time, he keeps demanding answers from me. All of my family and friends keep blaming and accusing me. They even claim that I've gone nuts. Meanwhile, Michele's childhood friend, Gianna Grasso, hides outside the room with a hand clamped over her mouth as she giggles secretly to herself. "AI nowadays sure is powerful! I can't believe she actually believes that the woman in the video call is actually her future self five years from now!" My lips curl into a small smile. Honestly speaking, I can tell right away that it's just a fake AI video, based on how shabbily it's made. It's quite simple as to why I've done those things, though—I've received an actual video call from my future self for real.