Melodramatic Short Stories & Mistress Mind Reading Novels

The day I give birth, I hear my newborn daughter, Kayla Green's voice. "Mommy, Daddy is going to see Ms. Knightley today." Christian Green is standing beside my hospital bed when his phone lights up. A new text message flashes across the screen. The sender's name is Summer Knightley. His thumb hovers over her name for several long seconds before he quietly turns the phone over, hiding the screen from view. "Mari, something urgent came up at the office. I have to go." "He's lying." Kayla's voice doesn't come from the tiny bundle in my arms, but it echoes directly inside my mind. "It's not work, Mommy. He's going to see Ms. Knightley. Her flight lands in two hours. Next month, he'll start transferring all of his assets. The apartment, the savings, the cars. He won't leave us a single thing. "A year from now, you and I will be discarded with nothing." I pick up my phone. "Alistair, I need you to investigate two people—Christian Green and Summer Knightley. I want everything on them."

At the company's year-end party, a colleague asks me teasingly about when exactly my boyfriend, Hayden Potter, and I will get married. Hayden's female buddy, Melissa Somers, instantly speaks up for him. "He's not in a rush. After all, Hayden's main priority is his career." At first, I don't think much about Melissa's response. But the next thing I know, I suddenly hear her internal thoughts. [Marriage? When Hayden was sleeping over at my place, he promised me that he'd marry me!] I freeze up on the spot before whirling around to stare at Hayden and Melissa. At the moment, Melissa is taking a sip from Hayden's drink through the same straw he just used. Hayden never once looks at me. In fact, he even has an arm wrapped around Melissa's shoulders.

My girlfriend, Sophie Selby, and my best friend, Darren Norton, have been at each other's throats for the past month. They're both determined to make the wedding perfect for me. Sophie wants something classic and grand. Darren insists romantic and picture-perfect is the way to go. They go through dozens of plans, arguing over everything from the guest count and Sophie's dress to the reception menu. And every time, I end up playing referee. Sophie rarely wins an argument with Darren, though somehow, we still end up going with whatever works best for her. They both joke that I'm the lucky one because I get to sit back and let them handle everything. The funny part is, whenever I actually try to give an opinion, neither of them wants to hear it. Darren just grins. "Relax. I've got this. You're getting the perfect wedding." Sophie sighs helplessly. "It's fine. Just a few more days. I can survive him that long." The night before the wedding, they're at it again. This time, it's the flowers. "I'm just saying, gardenias are prettier. Lilies are tacky." Sophie scoffs. "So you say you want gardenias, and suddenly everyone has to change the flowers for you? Can you stop making such a fuss?" Darren comes to find me afterward, looking completely crushed. "Zack, what do you think?" Honestly, I agree with Sophie. Changing all the flowers this late sounds like a nightmare. But then I see the hurt look on Darren's face. I sigh, ready to take his side. Before I can say a word, Sophie's thoughts suddenly sound in my head. [Fine. I owe Darren. I'll pay extra and have them switch the flowers to gardenias.] A second later, Darren's thoughts come through just as clearly. [Gardenias mean secret love. I may never get to be with you, but as long as you're happy, that's enough for me.]

After catching Dustin Sherwood cheating on me, I decisively break up with him and join a tour group to the Northern Pole to clear my head. However, I encounter a rare blizzard and get trapped on a glacier at -22 degrees. As my life hangs by a thread, Dustin trudges up to me, searching for me on foot. He peels off all his clothes, layer by layer, and wraps them tightly around my freezing body. "Don't go to sleep, Claudia. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I only want you to live well for the rest of your life… If there ever is a next life, I promise that I will never betray you or let you down again." When the rescue team finally finds us, Dustin is still clinging to me, but his body is completely frozen stiff. They have to cut his arms off just to separate me from him. After Dustin's death, I live with guilt toward him until I die at 80 years old. When I open my eyes again, I realize that I am reborn a year before he cheats on me. In this life, he decisively severs all ties with Miranda Barlow and even makes a show of kicking her out of the company with me watching. He also swaps out all of his personal assistants and secretaries for married men and never brings any female companions to events or drinking parties anymore. Everyone marvels at how deeply Dustin is in love with me. However, on the eve of our wedding, I suddenly hear his heartfelt inner thoughts. [I'm about to have her, even in my second life. This time, I must make sure to hide Mimi well so she never finds out about her.]

At my son's tenth birthday, I unexpectedly gained the power to read minds. Standing before the candles, he made his wish. "I hope I score a hundred on my finals." Before I could commend his maturity, a second wish slammed into my ears. "I don't like Dad. I want Mr. Shaw to be my dad.'' My hands froze halfway through a clap.