12 Hours

"No stop. We should not be doing this. You are Noah's brother and my boss" Esme murmured and tried to push Leo away. But he didn't budge. He pinned her to the glass wall in his office and started kissing her. Her protests drowned with his kiss. ....... Esme stood on the Altar alone, waiting for the groom who dissappeared. Standing alone on the Altar on her big day should have been devastating. That too when the groom was her best friend of fifteen years and fiance of four years. She should have seen this coming. And she should be a crying mess. But she is not. Strangely, she is feeling relieved. Her gaze fixed on Leo Ashford, her Fiance's elder brother. The wrong brother she fell for. The brother she shouldn't be thinking about. The brother who is off limits. The last man to whom she shouldn't have lost her virginity to. 'I promise Esme, I will cherish you this time' she remembered Noah's promise from just a few hours ago. She felt bitter, because he couldn't even hold his promise for even a day.

Many times I have seen people struggling to talk with strangers or in public places. This was due to anxiety and nervousness that happens unintentionally in our body. We can’t control them but have to overcome them. I came across the word “Glossophobia” in 2014 when I was working on how to overcome stage fears. I have seen my friends and myself struggling to talk with strangers or to speak in public. There are cases where I have acted speechless. This is where the idea arrived and I have created a character “Abhirath Srivastav” who cannot talk with strangers or in public places due to a phobia called “Glossophobia”. The Character Abirath Srivastav does not represent any real life personality, it is solely of my imagination. The story “ The only hope” is a love story set in the style of 1994. The story is about an orphan boy who suffers from glossophobia; he can't talk to strangers or in public places. He finds it hard to stay in an orphanage and escapes to find a better place in his life. He meets a Christian girl in an unknown village and becomes her best friend. He speaks to her, but not to any other villagers. Things are not, however, what was expected. Half of the villagers migrate to another place for work, and they take the boy with them. The boy has to leave his favourite place and his only best friend. After 12 years, however, he meets her and here how the story takes its turn.

Samantha had been with her husband Alex for 12 long years, dutifully raising his child from a previous relationship. Yet as the years dragged on, the deep resentment she felt could no longer be ignored. Alex took her endless sacrifices for granted, never expressing an ounce of appreciation for all she did to keep their family afloat. His domineering mother only fanned the flames of drama, inserting herself into every aspect of their lives. And their once passionate marriage had become a sexless, loveless obligation. Samantha's only solace was her job at the local hardware store, a seeming world away from the suffocating doldrums of her home life. It was there that she met Jack, her new boss - a charismatic man whose radiant charm and flirtations slowly but surely began chipping away at Samantha's resolve. At first, she dismissed the growing attraction as a harmless crush. But as the weeks ticked by, the chemistry between them became undeniable, an all-consuming force that made her feel truly alive for the first time in years. One fateful night, passion overcame reason, and Samantha surrendered to her desires in Jack's arms. The guilt was searing, but it paled in comparison to the euphoria of being wanted, needed, desired again. Thus began a torrid affair, one built on lies and deception as they stole away for clandestine rendezvous. Samantha was playing with fire, but she couldn't bring herself to stop.

Before the engagement ceremony takes place, my fiance, Vincenzo Rizzi, makes a formal announcement on the deck of a cargo ship docked at the new harbor. Apparently, my younger stepsister, Sofia Russo, will become his legitimate wife. Vincenzo has an arm wrapped around Sofia's waist. As they stand beneath the spotlight, Vincenzo smiles tenderly at her. "According to the mafioso's rules, only those who have received the core elders' acknowledgment shall become the Madre of the family. Others are nothing but lovers and mistresses." Under the family elders' blessings, Vincenzo gives Sofia a black diamond necklace. Then, they exchange vows with each other and are now engaged. I just watch the ceremony take place quietly. Then, I make an appointment to have an abortion. I have loved Vincenzo since I was 16 years old. I'm 28 years old now, meaning I've been in love with him for 12 years. Yet, Sofia is the only one he has ever loved. In that case, I choose to let go of him once and for all. After that, I travel to a hidden safehouse located in Sombral. All I've left for Vincenzo is a letter stating the termination of our engagement and a farewell gift. But the man, who has never shown concern toward me this whole time, ends up breaking down to the point he doesn't even have the mood to deal with his family matters.

Dony Sanjaya adalah sosok cowok sejuta pesona yang populer sejak kelas 10. Semua cewek menggilainya dan bermimpi menjadi pasangan Prom Night terakhirnya di SMA elit. Tetapi hingga duduk di bangku kelas 12, tak satu pun cewek yang berhasil menyandang status kekasih Sang Pangeran Tampan. "Kamu harus jadi pacarku!" tuntut Dony Sanjaya pada seorang cewek yang telah menghilangkan ponsel seharga tiga puluh juta miliknya. Ella Laila sengaja berdandan culun dan mengaku sebagai siswa beasiswa memiliki daftar nama cowok yang harus dihindari. Nama Dony Sanjaya berada di urutan teratas. "Oke. Dengan satu syarat, kamu enggak boleh menyentuh tubuhku seujung kuku pun!" Ella dengan terpaksa menyanggupi karena tak ingin penyamarannya setahun ini terbongkar. Awalnya Dony tidak mengetahui jati diri sang kekasih pura-pura itu. Tetapi dia menjadi benar-benar mencintai cewek itu hingga rela melawan sang kakak yang selama ini ditakutinya. Demikian juga Ella tak menyadari kebohongan demi kebohongan untuk menjaga keselamatan diri malah mengarahkan pada perangkap sang monster brengsek sesungguhnya. Seseorang harus segera membangunkan Ella! Cewek itu berjalan ke arah yang keliru! Dia masuk ke mulut buaya kelaparan yang mengincarnya dengan sabar beberapa tahun ini!

CONTENT WARNING: Please note that this book contains sensitive themes and includes explicit scenes, making up approximately 20% of its content. It is intended for mature readers only. ✧✧✧ "Why is it hard for you to give up that office, Dr. Abernathy?" inis na tanong sa kaniya ni Dr. Carterson na anak ng Chairman—ex boyfriend niya 12 years ago. "Mahalaga sa akin, of course! At bakit ba gusto mo iyon?" tanong naman niya. "Ako lang dapat magtatanong," angal naman nito. "Bakit nga mahalaga?" "Regalo sa akin ng kuya mo iyon noong intern pa lang ako at ikaw na ang nagsabi na kapag regalo dapat iniingatan. Kaya ibalik mo sa akin ang opisina ko!" "Paano ba iyan? I hate to think that it's a gift from Jaxon, you're not going to like what I'm going to ask for." Nainis siya pero pinili niyang kumalma. "Then tell me, gagawin ko." "You sure?" "Why not? As long as hindi naman nakakamatay yan. Hindi mo naman ako uutusan na uminom ng lason o púmàtày ng pasyente di ba?" Tumaas ang sulok ng labi nito. "Okay...then take off your panty and give it to me." Napanganga siya. "W-What?"

Andy Williams is a nineteen year old Senior struggling to balance her school life, after hours job and moonlighting as a rock star. When her band is booked to do the end of term concert her cover is blown and she struggles to cope with the groupie, who just happened to be her Mathematics teacher, Miss Gweneviere Sheldon.Her English teacher, Miss Preston, offers to tutor her during the holidays and they start to get really close, perhaps too close? Uncomfortable with the situation Miss Preston calls everything off and sends Andy spiralling into a world of alcohol and drugs.Andys band tries to help Andy get over Miss Preston but ends up making the situation worse. Andy rethinks her actions during a couple of days in the hospital, she quits the band, changed her school schedule and starts extra Mathematics lessons to make up for lost time.She makes new friends, finds a new job. Her life seems to be back on track when a tragic accident happens on a school trip that leaves Andy temporarily paralyzed.She makes it through with the help of family and friends and reconnects with the band. With a little hard work Andy graduates and is free to pursue Miss Carol Preston.

Evy was a simple-minded girl. If there's work she's there. Evy is a known workaholic. She works day and night, dedicating each of her waking hours to her jobs and making sure that she reaches the deadline. On the day of her birthday, her body gave up and she died alone from exhaustion. Upon receiving the chance of a new life, she was reincarnated as the daughter of the Duke of Polvaros and acquired the prose of living a comfortable life ahead of her. Only she doesn't want that. She wants to work. Even if it's being a maid, a hired killer, or an adventurer. She will do it. The only thing wrong with Evy is that she has no concept of reincarnation or being isekaid. In her head, she was kidnapped to a faraway land… stranded in a place far away from Japan. So she has to learn things as she goes with as little knowledge as anyone else. Having no sense of ever knowing that she was living in fantasy nor knowing the destruction that lies ahead in the future. Evy will do her best to live the life she wanted and surprise a couple of people on the way. Unbeknownst to her, all her actions will make a ripple. Whether they be for the better or worse.... Evy has no clue.

The Sullivan brothers had always treated me like I was their whole world. That changed the day I was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. The pain soon grew unbearable, and I was told I might lose my memories if I opted for surgery. I reached out to the brothers. I did not want to forget them, and I needed their help. However, when the call connected, the only thing I heard was an icy, sharp voice. "Summer, it's Yvonne's birthday today. Can you not ruin it for once?" I blacked out from the pain. When I woke up in the hospital, there was a message from Yvonne on my phone. "Summer, the boys gave me these lucky charms for protection." Attached was a photo of three silver pendants, each engraved with the brothers' initials. I knew those pendants well. I had spent seven hours in the freezing rain just to get them blessed. That was the moment I gave up. I went abroad alone for the surgery, and with it, all my memories of the brothers faded away. I completely forgot about them until one day, three strangers knocked on my door, begging like madmen for my forgiveness.

On my birthday, Connor Simpson's first love jumped off a building due to depression. She died on the spot. Connor blamed everything on me. I never celebrated my birthday again after she died. After the murderer electrocuted me for more than ten hours, they forced me to call Connor. "Connor, it's my 25th birthday today. Can you come over and spend time with me?" However, Connor did not notice anything unusual. His voice was laced with venomous iciness. "Clarisse Winter, Audrey wouldn't have died if it weren't for you. How dare you ask me to celebrate your birthday? If only you were the one who died." I heard him coaxing a woman on the other end just before he hung up on me. That low and gentle tone was what I loved to hear the most in the past. That night, the murderer cut my body into countless pieces, packed them in bags, and threw them in front of the police station. Connor was summoned back overnight. He spent two days and two nights piecing together the body parts, but he did not realize that the dead person was the wife that he hated the most.