Face-Slapping

"Interested in having a date with me? Hurry up and get over here!" Elliot Coleman sends me a photo of a venue that's decorated romantically. It's followed by that sentence and an address. He and his friends laugh hysterically when I arrive in a carefully selected dress. "I told you, right? She'd come running with just a single sentence! Trust me, she'll do whatever I want her to do!" Elliot ignores my embarrassment and publicly confesses his feelings for Isabelle Stevens. He even falsely accuses me of refusing to leave him alone and tries to chase me off. Then, he turns pale when my newlywed husband arrives and shields me.

What would you do when your sexy fiancé’s brother pins you to the bed, moans your name, and demands your surrender? Ava Morgan just witnessed a pile of shit—her fiancé having sex with his cousin. As a “good girl,” Ava should accept it and stay out of trouble. Instead she’s been drawn into Alexander Clark’s orbit—the notorious kingpin the whole town fears. • “You’re so wonderful, babe. Your eyes are beautiful.” • “Don’t cry, okay? Give me your hand.” • “What is this? Is this the baby’s clitoris?” • “How adorable! Touch it.” Pleasure floods her mind and nearly makes her forget her mission: she must secure power through marriage to save her family. If the affair is exposed, the consequences will destroy them. What will she do next? Stay, leave, or burn it all down?

On the day of Zephyr’s art exhibition, I saw people stand around a portrait of myself. My cheeks were flushed, and I was bare. My posture was the one we used in bed last week for fun. Zephyr even got the mole on my chest right. As people stared at me mockingly, I demanded, “Why did you do this to me?” He was unbothered. “It’s not as if I asked you to sleep with someone else.” But he did let people see how I looked when I was having an intimate moment with my own boyfriend! “It’s just a painting. Why are you being so petty?” I was stunned by the mockery in Zephyr’s gaze. Then, I called my assistant. “I’m attending the international art festival as the organizer.”

Ethan Miller, a waiter at a fancy restaurant, was suddenly kidnapped by unknown assailants and brutally beaten. After being rendered helpless, he was thrown onto the street in the pouring rain. As he felt he was about to die from the pain in his body, especially in his back, which was getting worse, he was rescued by one of the richest businessmen in the country. Even more surprisingly, he was told that he was likely the heir to the dragon king's knowledge, which could cure all diseases.

I was treating some friends to dinner at the private club my cousin owned. When we wrapped up, I waved over a server. "Just put it on Nick's tab." The server nodded, but a manager I'd never seen stepped in to block her. Wearing a smile that never reached her eyes, she said, "Sir, Bosco is a members-only establishment. We don't offer tabs." I felt a flicker of irritation. "I'm the owner's cousin. Just let him know." She let out a sharp, mocking laugh and slapped a bill onto the table. Eighty-eight thousand. Exclusive suite atmosphere maintenance fee, ten thousand. High‑end social network filtration fee, twenty thousand. Spontaneous entertainment ambience enhancement fee, fifteen thousand. And a mess of other miscellaneous charges. Since when did Nick's place dare to bleed customers dry like this? "What's wrong? Can't pay and now you're trying to name‑drop?" She looked me up and down with an arrogant tilt of her chin. "I've seen plenty of our boss's relatives. Not one of them is as broke, pretentious, and shameless as you." Right in front of her, I dialed Nick and put the call on speaker. "Ten minutes," I said. "Make sure she disappears from my sight. Otherwise, I'm revoking your authorization for this club."

On a rainy day, I gave my pregnant neighbor a ride home since it was on my way. As a result, she became clingy and started insisting I drive her home every day. When I refused, she teared up and accused me of lacking compassion. Her husband even showed up at my door, demanding, "Why won't you take my wife to and from work? Are you looking down on us?" In the end, I sold my car and moved to a new place. If I couldn’t afford to offend them, at least I could avoid them!

Hindi man lang ako hinawakan ng aking asawa sa aming honeymoon. Sabi niya, masyado siyang pagod at nakiusap na maghintay ako. Pero tuwing madaling-araw, palihim siyang bumababa sa basement. Kapag bumabalik siya, agad siyang naliligo para mawala ang hindi maipaliwanag na amoy. Tinanong ko siya kung ano ang ginagawa niya roon, at ang sagot niya, nag-eehersisyo siya. Pero sino namang mag-eehersisyo sa kalagitnaan ng gabi? Hindi ko na kaya. Isang gabi, nagdesisyon akong sumilip sa basement para alamin ang totoo. Hinabol niya ako at hinawakan ang pajama ko, saka pasigaw na sinabi, "Bumalik ka rito! Hihiwalayan kita kapag bumaba ka dyan!"

"You have no house to go to, no money, no friends and no child to drain me of child support. Don't be stubborn. You know you'll die without me, I'm your only family left." Once again that proud tone was sneered at me. "I worry for you." Devon’s eyes glimmered waiting for me to go on my knees and beg him. I shake my head. "Worry about yourself Devon. Do you really think you'd go scott free after the shit you pulled today? You couldn't even let me mourn my baby in peace." I searched for his gaze, my eyes burrowing into his. "I promise you, if not today, one-day Devon. I'll make you wish you were dead." ____ Corrie North gave Devon Remington everything. Amazing sex? She gave him her body. A devoted house-wife? She abandoned her career for him. A fucking maid? She scrubbed every inch of his sprawling mansion. A child? She nearly died bringing their son, Haven, into the world. And how did he repay her? Devon betrayed her. He cheated with a younger woman, handed her divorce papers, and vanished on the day their son died in a mysterious accident. Two months later, he finally showed up to Haven's funeral, with his pregnant mistress on his arm. As if that wasn’t enough, he accused Corrie of murdering their child. Devastated, Corrie vowed revenge. She vanished from Devon’s life, promising that everyone who played a part in Haven’s death would pay, including him. Four years later, Devon wants her back. He’ll do anything to make her his again. But Corrie isn’t the same woman he left behind. Will she make him pay for his betrayal , or will old flames pull her back into the arms of the man who destroyed her?

When I'm at the hospital for a prenatal checkup, I find out that the husband of the woman sitting beside me is Rupert Hensley, a renowned businessman. It's such a coincidence. Rupert is my husband, too. As we chat, I learn that her husband isn't with her because he's out of town for a meeting. This is even more coincidental—my husband is also out of town for a meeting. After a long silence, I decide to get an abortion instead of going for my prenatal checkup. It's only when I later ask for a divorce that I remember he and I never registered our marriage in the first place.

She was his secret. Until he proposed to another woman — live on Inst*gr*m. Now Alaya Moore has nothing… until the day he dies and leaves her everything: The mansion. The money. The company. And every enemy he ever made. They called her the side chick. But she’s about to show the world she was the real queen all along.