The Ten-Dollar Dream

When my mother won a million dollars from a lottery ticket, she prepared an envelope for each of her three children. After we opened them, my younger brother and younger sister each found a bank card inside. But from my envelope, two 1-dollar coins clinked onto the floor. Seeing me freeze, a trace of unease flickered across Mother's face. "Cassian," she said hesitantly, "Logan and Sienna suffered a lot growing up because your father passed away so early. So I gave each of them 500 thousand dollars as compensation. "You're the eldest son—like a father to them. Don't fight with them over this, okay?" I glanced down at the faded down jacket I had worn for years, the fabric so worn that it had lost its color. Then, my eyes drifted to my younger brother's limited-edition sneakers and to the designer bag slung over my sister's shoulder. Mother seemed to have forgotten that when Father died, I had only been eight. I smiled faintly. "Alright. I won't fight them for it." Hearing this, Mother let out a long breath of relief. The next second, my voice turned cold. "Then I won't fight for the responsibility of supporting you in your old age either."

A parent in my son's preschool group chat tagged me out of nowhere. "Theo's dad, your son's lunches always look pretty nice. Starting tomorrow, pack one for my daughter too." "I'm not asking for free food. I'll give you ten dollars a day. That adds up. You can make a little extra on the side." I stared at the message, almost laughing from how absurd it was. My son has severe food sensitivities and a fragile stomach. Every ingredient in his meals is specially sourced, and a single lunch costs far more than five hundred dollars to prepare. And this man thought ten dollars could buy it? I replied with two words: "Not happening." The next day, my son came home crying. His lunch had been taken by another child, and the teacher had scolded him for being selfish. Fine. Since they wanted to push this far, I would show them exactly how far I could go.

Everyone in the Blood Moon pack is whispering that Alpha Cassian Ward only allows his pack to spend ten dollars a day. Yes, ten dollars. It's not a pack tradition, nor a decree from the elders. The rule comes from his new financial planner, Mira Langford. Even as Luna, the moment they discover I've spent a single dollar more—on medicine, no less—they drag me out and whip me 20 times in public. By the second lash, my back splits open, blood soaking through my skirt. My personal maid, Elsie Quinn, throws herself forward, sobbing. "Stop, please stop! Luna Sutton is fragile! She won't survive this!" But Mira only lashes harder. "Alpha Cassian said 20 lashes for every extra dollar. Who dares defy him?" I clutch my belly and manage a whisper. "Bring Alpha Cassian here..." A while later, Cassian arrives with his entourage. When he sees the blood streaking down my back, a flicker of pity crosses his eyes. "Mira, that's enough." Tears brim in Mira's eyes. "You said everyone would answer to me when you brought me back. I haven't even begun to be strict, and you're already going back on your word?" With that, she turns to leave. Cassian catches her hand. "Fine. I won't interfere. Don't tire yourself. Let the guards finish it." As the whip strikes me again and again, a warm, sticky pool of blood forms under me. A caustic laugh escapes my lips as tears streak down my face and into my tangled hair. By the time Cassian remembers me the next morning and finally sends for a healer, Elsie is bent over my body, trembling with grief. "Luna Sutton, how could this happen? You're gone, and so is the pup."

“I don't want to be like this anymore!”, Maria shouted hysterically. Maria, a successful businesswoman of her age, broke down in tears because of the unusual feelings she got after she achieved her dream of fame. She got everything---- money, fame, and boosting career but she can't be happy. Her love life fell when she started reaching her dreams. She left George over her career even though she got his full support. George was Maria's first love, a man of dignity, and love and respected Maria on every decision but the only problem was he was contented with his career--- a turn-off for a woman that chased dreams. Dreams without happiness were nothing but only a piece of a show-off for other people. Will Maria feel the happiness she was looking for in the dream she achieved? Or she will stay a successful but unhappy woman in life?

Many Teenagers dream and yearn to live up the dream, but Pablo's case is a lot more different, find out, in Living The Dreams.

I ,like every Nigerian teenager, has a dream. Something I prayed and fantasized would one day come true. My siblings saw it as empty dream, something to build up my imagination and that it would never come to pass but I stood strong, determined to catch that dream and one day live and fullfil it. I know you would be wondering, what is this so called dream of mine that I held so high and cherished. Well,it was traveling Abroad, I know what you would say. "Who doesn't want to travel Abroad"? Everybody does, but mine felt different ,for me it felt like something I was born to do,it felt like a norm that I must accomplish. I want to be a popular and well known script writer, someone who writes plays and works for the biggest movie industry but looking down on my family,it was that I couldn't reach, but I still push ahead with an unquenchable determination. Join Serena Williams on her journey to achieve her dreams. Being faced by discouragement , betrayal and having to choose between her dreams and her lover. What would be the outcome of her friendship with James, what brought the betrayal, will she chose to stay or to leave? Find out in dreams.