A Grief Observed

My wife, Valerie Larson, had a congenital heart condition. Despite that, she still wanted to have a child with her first love, Eugene Dyer. I refused without a second thought. Ten months later, Eugene's mother, Susan Turner, passed away. Her eyes were still wide open as if refusing to accept death without ever holding her grandchild. Overcome with guilt for failing his mother, Eugene took his own life in his small, rundown apartment. Valerie, consumed by grief and anger, took us on a road trip, only to crash the car head-on into a truck without hesitation. She shouted, "It's your fault Eugene died! If you had let me give him a child, he never would have ended up like that! His whole family is gone, so yours doesn't deserve to live either!" When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Valerie first asked to have Eugene's child. This time, I forced a small smile and said, "Darling, go ahead. Our whole family will support you."

In her past life, Dylan Xander was forced to marry Zoe Stone. On their wedding day, his first love died in a plane crash. After the wedding, Dylan fell into a deep depression and grew to despise Zoe. For seven long years, she humbled herself just to win a sliver of his affection. But all she ever got in return was the same cruel question, over and over again: “Why wasn’t it you who died instead?” And yet, when the tsunami struck, Dylan gave up his only chance of survival to save her. On the lifeboat, she desperately reached out to grab his hand but he pulled away with all his strength. As he sank into the dark depths of the sea, he smiled in relief. “I’m finally free. I can be with her now.” After his death, the entire Xander family turned their hatred toward Zoe. Consumed by grief and guilt, she took her own life by jumping into the ocean. But when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to seven years ago. This time, she would cut the toxic bond between them and let him be with his true love.

She returned to bury her father. Instead, she was forced to marry his enemy’s son. - Rosalind Marlow returns to New York to settle her father’s affairs, once one of the city’s most feared mafia bosses, only to find he died beside his greatest rival… and left behind a contract binding her to the rival’s son. Viktor Marino is cold, calculating, and infuriatingly magnetic. Rosa has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, not in grief, not in business, and definitely not in bed. But Viktor plays a long game, and with every stare, every challenge, he pulls her deeper into a world of secrets, power, and heat. She was raised to be untouchable. He was born to conquer. And in the space between vengeance and desire, who is going to lose control first? (Contains mature and dark content) ***** EXCERPT ‘Why would you want to leave this behind?’ he growled in my ear, his chest rumbling against my back. Because I can’t trust you. Because I don’t know what I want. ‘Because it’s cruel,’ I whispered. And then he pulled away, leaving me trembling, desperate, and furious.” ❦

BLURB:    Nathan's mother exclaimed, "It would be best if you left as you bring nothing but trouble. Additionally, kindly take all your belongings with you." The hostility in her eyes was evident, which was a stark contrast to the love that she previously had for me. These were the same eyes that reminded me of Nathan, my dear lover who had valiantly sacrificed himself for my safety as well as ours.   **** Anita, a Blood Fang wolf, finds herself welcomed into a new family when she is taken in by Natalie. However, tragedy strikes when Natalie's son, Nathan, passes away, leaving Anita heartbroken. In her grief, Anita is blamed by Natalie for her son's death, leaving her with nowhere to go as she is sent out of the house. The situation is emotionally charged, and the future for Anita remains uncertain.   ***    The statement “Come live at the pack house with me” was met with a cold and resistant response from the me. There was a strong sense of bitterness and hatred towards the person who made the offer, who I believed to be responsible for the death of my beloved Nathan. Although there was no other place to go, the reluctance to live in the pack house was apparent, as it was as the abode of a devil.            

She lost everything in a single breath, her mother, her home, her hope. Now, the only thing Olivia has left… is a fight for survival. Desperate and alone, 20-year-old Olivia is drowning in grief and debt, struggling to save her sick younger brother from the same illness that stole their mother. When a cruel twist of fate lands her at the mercy of the arrogant billionaire heir, Chris Blackwood, her world shatters further. Humiliated. Homeless. Hopeless. Until his brother shows up. Daniel Blackwood isn’t just rich, he’s her miracle. He saves her brother’s life. Offers her a job. A place to stay. A second chance. But falling for him? That was never part of the plan. Now Olivia is trapped in a mansion full of enemies, secrets, and twisted power plays. His fiancée wants her gone. His brother wants her ruined. And the billionaire patriarch just caught her in Daniel’s arms… She was only supposed to clean the floors. Not sweep a billionaire off his feet. But in a world that treats love like a transaction, will Olivia risk everything for a man she can never have?

In the shadowed swamps of the South, where ancient cypress roots drink deep from the earth, something older and far more dangerous stirs. Rio never asked to be reborn into darkness, but as a fledgling vampire trained by the ruthless and alluring Odessa, he’s learned quickly that survival demands both strength and sacrifice. Haunted by the family he left behind, Rio carries the weight of his choices—yet he can’t ignore the fragile bond forming with Junie Elowen, a newly turned vampire whose bright green eyes hide grief, fear, and an untapped power that could change everything. Odessa’s control slips as her complicated attachment to Rio deepens, forcing him to question where loyalty ends and obsession begins. But greater threats rise when Cassian—an ancient vampire and Junie’s sire—emerges from the shadows, determined to claim what he believes is his. Power struggles ignite, alliances fracture, and the swamp itself seems to whisper warnings of blood yet to be spilled. A story of forbidden bonds, found family, and the price of power, Blood Beneath the Cypress is a dark, atmospheric tale where love and loyalty are as dangerous as the monsters lurking in the night.

One tragic accident. One life lost. One love that should never exist. Amariz solene never meant to kill Thalina, Alaric’s fiancée. Yet in a heartbeat, she becomes the object of his rage and the source of a forbidden desire neither can resist. Her mother sends her to work at a prestigious company, unaware that it belongs to the man whose life she shattered. Amari walks into her new job oblivious, unaware she’s stepping straight into Alaric's world, binding her fate to the man who despises her most. Alaric sees her arrival as fate, a chance to punish the woman who destroyed his world. But as he watches her carry her guilt quietly and face each challenge with grace,his hatred begins to crumble, finds himself drawn to the woman he should hate. Every stolen glance, every secret encounter ignites a dangerous passion that threatens to consume them both. To love each other is betrayal. To let go is heartbreak. And in the shadow of tragedy, they must decide: will their hearts be destroyed by the past, or can they risk everything for a love born from grief?

My dad collapsed from a sudden heart attack and died. The shock hit my mom like a freight train, and she blacked out cold. By the time I raced home from college, his body had already been reduced to ashes in the crematorium. Grief barely had a chance to sink in before the debt collectors pounded on our door. That was when the ugly truth emerged. My dad had secretly racked up billions in loans, saddling my mom and me. A year later, the relentless harassment from those goons drove my mom to despair. She ended her life, and I was forced to drop out of school, scavenging dumpsters just to scrape by. But fate had a cruel twist in store. I spotted my "dead" dad, alive and thriving, hosting an extravagant birthday bash for his secret son. I stormed in, desperate for answers, only to be hurled out by security. My head cracked against the pavement, and everything went black. When my eyes fluttered open again, I was inexplicably back on that fateful day of my dad's heart attack.

I can remove your grief; I can erase your fears; I can ease your pain because I am God’s angel, and I believe that he sent me to a mission and that is to end people's pain; I am Helena, A religious woman, and I can help you end your pain by bringing it back to the Lord. With the help of my boyfriend named Echo, the man that I love and trust most. We accomplished our mission well, but everything came to an end when Brother Ven. A born again Christian. Didn’t believe in my mission. He asked a psychiatrist to help me from my delusional mind because of the dark past that I’ve had been. He told the psychiatrist named Dr Castelo; A psychiatrist who has a dark secret, that I have a mental illness. So join me in my journey and discover by yourself if I am God’s angel or a sick psychopath? Who is Echo in my life? And how can my psychiatrist help me if she has a dark secret kept hidden?

The past is perilous, but we can't help but glance back at times. Millions of people have been affected by the word "memories," which has brought them grief, despair, and pessimism. They were lives that had a reason for existing, lives that could have lasted decades and accomplished a great deal.... Maria Camara Villagonzalo becomes an astute twenty seven-year-old girl with huge ambitions who aspires to achieve her dreams in life. She dreamed of having a complete family, yet, it didn't happen. She knew it wouldn't be simple to live happily because there are still secrets she needs to unfold.... "Looking up to the sky, seeing the brightest star. Ended up with a sigh, and a heart full of scars," Camara murmured, resolved to realize her ambitions and uncover the secrets of her family's past.... There are some things we don't want to happen but must accept, some things we don't want to know but must learn, and some people we can't live without but must let go. And that, my friends, is life. So, what kind of twists and turns does Camara have in store?