Karma

When I was 18 years old, I stepped between Eric Ludlow and a silver arrow loosed by another contender so I could help him win the Alpha Trials. The silver sank deep into my wolf. Ever since then, I've lived as a broken werewolf without a mind-link and unable to conceive. Drowning in guilt, Eric decided to mark me. He pulled me close and vowed, "I'll love you for the rest of my life, Evelyn. I'll never see you as less." I really did believe him back then. At 25, he wins the pack war again and emerges as the strongest Alpha. But he turns our mate bond into a joke. At the celebration dinner, during a thoughtless game of Truth or Dare with his secretary, Mia Sadler, he speaks across the mind-link to everyone. "Evelyn, you're painfully dull. You're not the least bit appealing, your scent is thin, and you can't even bear a pup. You're just dead weight. I wish you'd never been saved back then. I wish you'd died." I clutch the medical report that says my wolf is about to be gone for good, staying silent. He assumes I can't hear anything since I don't have a mind-link. I beg the pack healer for a brutal, life-draining potion, just to know what a mate bond with him feels like. It's fine. I'll be dead soon, just the way Eric wants.

My estranged husband suddenly barges into my parents' home, demanding to know where I am. He forces my mother to her knees and pushes my paralyzed father to the floor before beating him up. He even renders our four-year-old son half-dead. Why? Because his true love is disfigured and needs a skin graft to restore her looks. "Where is Victoria? She should be honored that she can do this for Amelia! Hand her over, or I'll kill all of you!" It's too bad I've been dead for a year.

When my mind-link request had been ignored by my parents for the twentieth time, I went to the Werewolf Council, clutching the report on silver dust corrosion in my hand. “Hello. I’d like to renounce my pack identity—effective immediately.” Ten minutes later, my parents burst in, dragging my adoptive younger sister, Elsa, with them, panic written all over their faces. The door burst open with a bang, and my Beta father charged in like a storm. His fangs bared, claws twitching. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat craving attention! Stop this pathetic act. You’re an embarrassment to a Beta’s name!” My mother, a forensic specialist for the pack, immediately snatched the report from my hand. After a brief glance, she let out a cold sneer. “You faked this report just to get our attention? You’ve been a liar since you were a pup.” Elsa clung to both of them, tears in her eyes as she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Jenifer. It’s my fault for holding the shifting ritual. But please... don’t lie to our parents just to make them feel guilty!” Blood was still pouring from my nose, but I wiped it away calmly and stood tall before the werewolf councilors once more. “I haven’t had a real family for a long time. Please—remove all my personal records from the pack. I just don’t want my funeral—scheduled for three days from now—to be delayed.”

The day I found out I was a match for my dad—stage four leukemia—I bailed. Mom tore the world apart looking for me, but yeah, she had to watch him go. After that, she drowned herself in research, built a name, even adopted this perfect little angel. We crossed paths again at some fancy leukemia conference she was hosting. I was on the demo table. She took one look and scoffed. "Charlotte Stein, not the time for your crap. Get up and go." The host blinked, stunned. "Dr. Cooper... you know this cadaver?" She actually laughed. "What, she paid you for this stunt?" The host turned ghost-white. "M-Miss Stein passed three days ago..."

A medical report shows me my husband's true colors. I've been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. Yet, my husband gives our life savings to someone else. I lunge at him to take my anger out on him, but he shoves me to the floor. "Lillian needs the money to open up a shop, you madwoman! So what if I've given her the money? "You have late-stage stomach cancer, so it's the end of the line for you! Why are you trying to compete with someone who has a long life ahead when you already have one foot in the grave? You can't expect Mom and I to lose everything because of you, right?" I sit dazedly on the floor. I've never found him more unfamiliar. After that, I sneak all my wedding gifts out, wanting to sell them for money. However, I'm told they're all fakes. My husband sneers. "I'm glad I had the foresight to switch them out for the real deal. You would've taken all the money if not for that!" Later, the hospital called to say there was an issue with their system. The names on the medical reports were wrongly indicated. I ask my husband, "Why are you competing with someone who has a long life ahead when you already have one foot in the grave?"

Satu tahun ini, Nida harus menjalani kehidupan poligami yang tidak adil. Hans sang suami yang menikah lagi dengan Diaz, kerap kali mengabaikannya sebagai istri pertama, karena besarnya cinta laki-laki itu kepada istri keduanya. Namun, semua berubah ketika Nida hamil. Hans perlahan mulai memperbaiki hubungan mereka dan bersikap lebih baik pada Nida. Sayangnya, bukannya senang dengan perubahan suaminya, Nida justru menjadikan kehamilannya itu sebagai alat balas dendam atas rasa sakit yang telah diberikan orang-orang di sekitarnya.

Au moment de l'explosion au laboratoire, Laurent Cédric, mon petit ami, s'est précipité avec angoisse vers Camille Dubois qui se trouvait à l'extérieur, la protégeant fermement sous son corps. Dès que l'explosion s'est arrêtée, il a immédiatement emmené Camille à l'hôpital. Sans même jeter un regard à moi, couverte de sang et effondrée par terre. Cette jeune fille qu'il avait élevée pendant dix-huit ans occupait entièrement son cœur. Il n'y avait plus de place pour personne d'autre. Ce sont mes collègues qui m'ont emmenée à l'hôpital, me sauvant ainsi la vie. Après être sortie de réanimation, les yeux gonflés par les pleurs, j'ai appelé mon professeur : « Professeur, j'ai pris ma décision, je suis prête à participer à votre recherche confidentielle. Même si je dois partir dans un mois et ne pouvoir contacter personne pendant cinq ans, cela ne me dérange pas. » Un mois plus tard, le mariage que j'attendais depuis si longtemps aurait lieu. Mais je ne voulais plus me marier.

Mon frère Dylan, parce que sa maîtresse Rosalie avait exprimé le désir d'assister à une pluie de météores, avait emmené tous ses gardes personnels à la campagne pour lui organiser ce spectacle romantique. Cette nuit-là, des anciens rivaux qu'il avait écrasés en ont profité pour s'introduire chez nous, bien décidés à exterminer toute la famille en guise de vengeance. Ma mère m'a protégée de son corps, subissant des blessures mortelles. J'ai appelé Dylan en pleurs, le suppliant de revenir. Heureusement, il a fini par rentrer avec ses gardes. Les intrus étaient alors capturés, mais des nouvelles horribles nous sont parvenue de la campagne : Rosalie s'était suicidée, laissant une lettre m'accusant d'avoir volontairement éloigné Dylan, ce qui l'avait conduite à être torturée par des ennemis. Dylan a brûlé froidement sa lettre d'adieu tout en murmurant : « Ce n'est pas grave. » Plus tard, notre père, déçu par son comportement, m'a promis la direction de l'entreprise familiale. Mais le soir même, après le banquet de célébration, Dylan est entré dans ma chambre et m'a assassinée. Ses derniers mots ont glacé mon sang : « Une personne aussi malfaisante que toi méritait de mourir ! » « C'est toi qui devrais être mort ! L'héritage me revient de droit ! » Je suis morte les yeux grands ouverts, pleine d'amertume. Quand j'ai rouvert les yeux... j'ai entendu à nouveau les intrus défoncer la porte d'entrée...

Demi memberi kejutan pada suamiku, aku melepas pakaianku dan bersembunyi di asrama lokasi proyek konstruksinya. Namun tak kusangka, suamiku tidak datang. Yang datang malah tiga rekan kerjanya yang lain. Mereka tergoda oleh celana dalamku dan malah melampiaskannya pada bibi koki di sana. Karena adegan yang terjadi di hadapanku itu terlalu panas, gairahku pun ikut terpancing. Saat sedang memuaskan diriku, aku tak kuasa mendesah. Ketiga pria itu pun menoleh ke lemari tempatku bersembunyi secara bersamaan ....

“Cih, duda trouble! Udah lepas, berani-beraninya minta yang masih segel! Baru selesai mencampakkan kekasih yang berkhianat, Selmara Vallence malah berakhir di tangan duda. Adalah Panji Antaraxa, pria yang tiba-tiba menolak mempelai wanita, tepat setelah gaun pernikahan dijajal bersama. Akibat dari kekonyolan Panji tersebut, Selma dipaksa menggantikan sang sepupu yang seharusnya menjadi mempelai wanita. Bersuami sepuluh tahun lebih tua sama sekali bukan mimpi Selma. Namun, gadis itu dipaksa memimpikannya demi kelangsungan bisnis antara keluarga Vallence dan Taraxa. Setelah apa yang dialami di masa lalu, Panji tidak peduli lagi dengan cinta. Yang ia perlukan hanyalah mengikat keluarga Vallence seperti yang diperintahkan oleh ayahnya. Entah itu Selma atau sepupunya, Panji sama sekali tidak peduli kecuali tentang segel kehormatan. Namun, ternyata Selma berbeda. Kepala Panji yang semula pusing karena tingkah kekanak-kanakan sang istri, kian hari makin berdenyut oleh romansa yang tidak semestinya. Demi menyelamatkan rumah tangga sekaligus perusahaan, berhasilkah Panji menghadirkan malam pertama di malam yang ke sekian kalinya bersama Selma? Dari situ pula, akankah Selma percaya bahwa suami dudanya itu masih perjaka? "Om, balikin mahkota aku!" Masih setengah sadar, Panji terkekeh. "Kenapa menghamili istri sendiri bisa serumit ini?" Cover by Canva free, edited by Daisyster.