How Does 'You'D Be Home Now' End?

On her wedding night, Rebecca Brown gets sent abroad by her new husband, Daniel Winston. On her return three years later, she's presented with a divorce agreement from her husband and a disownment agreement from her mother. Everyone is waiting to laugh at her, thinking she won't be able to survive living a poor life and will end up begging the Browns or shamelessly hound Daniel to take her back. However, it ends up with Daniel presenting himself pitifully before his ex-wife. He says, "Becca, when can we get remarried?"

After five years of marrying into the Loween City in place of my sister, the Gambling King finally passed away. My son and my ex-husband—at long last—gave me permission to fake my death and return to them. But they laid down three conditions. First: kneel before Vivian Gray, apologize for framing her all those years ago, and surrender my place as Mrs. Hartwell. Second: work as a live-in maid for my own son for five years, and never show up at his school in my former identity as the reigning queen of the nightlife scene—lest I embarrass him. Third: drink an abortifacient to destroy my fertility forever, as recompense for the infertility I once caused Vivian. "My lady, you've endured five whole years just to earn your freedom—how dare they humiliate you like this?" My maid's eyes were red, burning with indignation on my behalf. But I just tipped my head back and swallowed the death-faking pill, letting the servants toss my "corpse" into the overgrown brambles beyond the city limits. Then, from the mud and weeds, I crawled back to the Hartwell mansion—one knee at a time. Day one, I knelt as ordered and signed over custody of my son without a fight. Day three, I locked myself in the storage closet and stopped showing up at school to pick my son up like I used to. I also stopped pestering him to call me "Mom." Even when Vivian—knowing full well I'm terrified of the dark—deliberately trapped me in the basement, I bore it in silence. By the time my ex-husband Nathan Hartwell saw me again, I was barely hanging on. For the first time, a flicker of panic crossed his face as he carried me out of that basement. But my son just sneered. "It's just another stunt to win our sympathy." When he caught the tears welling in Vivian's eyes, Nathan coldly dropped me to the ground. "Always scheming against Vivian with your dirty tricks—aren't you tired of it?" Right then, the system chimed in my ear: [Please proceed to the "disposable ex-wife death node" to complete the story line and return to your original world.] I let out a quiet laugh. "Not tired at all." And with that, I turned and dove straight into the swimming pool beside me.

Wren Michaels was seventeen the last time she kissed Theo Ashford. He promised to send her letters. She waited by the mailbox for years, and nothing ever came. Fifteen years later, Wren has stopped waiting, believing he forgot about her. Now she has a good job, a good home, and a boyfriend who never once makes her chase him. Then her company gets bought overnight, and the new CEO walks in wearing the face of the boy who broke her heart. Now Wren works beside Theo every day, and the years apart start falling away faster than either of them can stop it. But nothing about this is simple. Wren has a man at home who loves her. Theo has a woman his family expects him to marry. And someone is watching them fall for each other again, someone dangerous enough to make sure it never happens. As the truth about the letters begins to surface, so does everything else buried underneath it. Lies, jealousy, and a plan to make sure Wren never gets her second chance at all. She lost him once and told herself it was just heartbreak. This time, she might lose everything. But why didn't he send her letters? Did he really forget about her? Who is willing to destroy Wren to keep Theo for themselves? And after everything Wren has already survived, can she still let herself come home to him?

He didn't stop when he reached her but leaned forward and kissed her hard, on the mouth. The air left her lungs. Maybe it was because it was her first kiss or because he had kissed her, she didn't know but her lungs were burning, her lips were on fire. She was one fire. It ended in a second. She stared at him with wide eyes as he stared back. His hand traced her forehead, nose, lips and then chin as it stopped on her throat. She knew, by God she knew he could feel her pulse, the heat on her cheeks. "I'm home." Dean Woodland left two years ago without a word or sound and now he is back to bring his belongings with him.

After deciding to leave Azurea and follow Clara Miller to Northwood City, I was cast out by my parents. "That girl is an orphan–what can she possibly give you? If you choose a life of hardship now, you’ll spend the rest of your life suffering! Once you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back!" I left anyway. For five years, I watched Clara rise step by step, becoming one of Northwood City’s most respected psychologists. Just as she had promised, she gave me a home. As the New Year approached, I planned to take her back to Azurea to reconcile with my parents. However, just before boarding the plane, she abandoned me again–this time for a depressed patient threatening to take his own life. She let go of my hand, her eyes full of pain. "Julian Vance… he’s just like I used to be–alone, with no one to rely on. If I don’t go, he’ll jump. I’m sorry. Just this once. I’ll catch the next flight and meet you there." Then she turned and ran toward the exit without hesitation. I stood there, staring at the two plane tickets in my hand. She had saved everyone who needed redemption. Everyone… except me. Slowly, I tore up her ticket. Then I walked alone toward the security gate and turned off my phone. What Clara did not know was this: Some journeys home, once missed, are gone forever.

"You said you leave when there's nothing left for you to do so what if I gave you a reason to stay?"