Arti Mommy

(Witchita Series #1) On the evening of Santacruzan, I met Gideon, the consort of my life. Months later, we grew closer to each other, but then... he found out about the bet and we split up. Weeks after our breakup, he confronted and told me, “Panagutan mo ako... Buntis ako," and I was like, “Gago ka ba?” Days after my family revealed our biggest secrets, I made up my list. To do: 1. Get to know more about my family's identity, history, and special ability (especially in dealing with a pregnant male partner!) 2. Master my family's craft — witchcraft. 3. Attend to Deon's needs, assist, and take care of him. 4. Protect and keep him away from his pack for nine months (or else our child's gonna get killed because Deon's a son of an alpha b*tch!) 5. Plan about our child's financial support and our parental setup. 6. Make sure that the whole pregnancy experience will be tolerable for the first-time mommy (or pappy or whatsoever, I don't really know what to call him, geez...) 7. The child should stay with my family after Deon gave birth because he or she belongs to us, to the kind who needs to keep hiding. 8. And the most important thing to do, love my child with all my heart, mind, and Witchita soul. I am Angie Lou Pereira, a Witchita, and this is my guide to successful parenting.

Sa mata ng lahat, parating pinapagalitan ni David si Helena—his ever so "clumsy" secretary. Pero ang hindi nila alam, hindi naman talaga dahil sa trabaho kung bakit siya parating pinapatawag ni David sa opisina. They’re actually fuck buddies, and Helena doesn’t mind. Kasi kahit bawal, mahal niya si David. Pero isang araw, out of nowhere, sinabi ni David na tapos na sila. Just like that. Wala nang paliwanag, except sa isang bagay na nagpasakit lalo sa puso ni Helena. Ikakasal na siya. At parang hindi pa sapat ‘yon, nalaman ng mommy ni David ang tungkol sa kanila, at kinuha lahat ng meron si Helena. Ang bahay na bigay ni David? Wala na. Ang stability niya? Wala na rin. So wala siyang choice kundi lumayo at kalimutan ang lahat. Pero paano niya kakalimutan kung may iniwan sa kanya si David? She’s pregnant. Years later, nakabangon na rin siya, ready na to start fresh with a man na tanggap siya at ang anak niya. Pero ang plot twist? Ang fiancé niya… half-brother ni David! Anong gagawin niya ngayong muli silang pinagtagpo ng lalaking pilit niyang tinatakasan? Is this fate… or just another heartbreak waiting to happen?

Katherine Riley thought she found the love of her life when she meets Nile O' Hare. They move on to marry and immediately start a family, even though Nile's father disapproves of their nuptials. Life is sweet for the newly weds until their world comes crashing down when Nile lost his life in a horrific accident. Katherine is now a single mother, left to raise her twins by herself. She struggles at first, but with help from her parents and friends, she becomes a successful bakery owner. Reconnecting with Nile’s family was never in her books, but after she gets a letter from their lawyer informing her of her children's inheritance, she decides to pay them a visit. Being in the hometown of her late husband stirs up the memories of her past, reopening her old wounds. When her children see her crying in the dark one night because she misses their father, the two little rascals decide to play Cupid and go on the hunt to find their mommy a new husband. They stumble unto a handsome man who fits their checklist, Aiden Windsor, a billionaire CEO with a stone-cold heart but a soft spot for children. The twins show him a picture of their mother and demands for him to take her out on a date. Intrigued by their boldness, he decides to play into their demands, not knowing that Katherine will be his forever after. But will Katherine lower her guard and fall for the man her kids secretly chose for her? Let us find out who will fall first in the Husband Trap.

After six years by Archie Valez’s side, everything changed when his uncle died—and Archie took over the family legacy… and with it, the responsibility of caring for his “young” aunt, Betty Cruz, whose age was practically the same as Archie’s. Still, whatever Betty wanted, Archie delivered. I just never thought it would include a baby. Betty said she wanted a baby with the Valez bloodline. And with the uncle gone, Archie was the only one left to do the job. So he gave her that, too. “Just wait a little longer,” he would say to me, “Sabrina. As soon as she’s pregnant.” What started as once a month turned into once a week… Then it became a nightly routine. Of almost eight months that we lived in New York, Archie went to Betty over a hundred times. And she finally got pregnant. Shortly after, the Valez family announced that Archie would be marrying Betty. “Mommy,” my daughter asked softly, climbing onto the couch beside me. Elly—our Elly. My Elly. The daughter Archie never had time for. “Is someone getting married?” I held her close and kissed her hair. “Yes, sweetheart. Daddy’s finally marrying the love of his life.” Elly blinked at the screen. “But what about us?” I smiled. “We’re going home, baby,” I whispered in her ear. Archie forgot that I was Sabrina Marcellus. And the Marcellus women didn’t beg for rings. And certainly not love after betrayal.

Verena Ellington was the Alpha king's daughter but for her mate, Fred Clinton— An average Alpha, she turned down the throne, put her wolf to sleep, and dedicated 7 years of her life to help him rise as his human mate. She thought life was good. She thought she had the best husband and son. However, when she returned from the hospital after a supposed Panther attack on her, her heart bottomed out to see her husband and son living in their house with his mistress like a family! "Mommy, there's no need for you to overreact okay! Aunt Tory here was doing what you were supposed to do— Taking care of us. Stop throwing a tantrum and let us enjoy the movie." Those were her son's words when she yelled at them. "Vera, I can't deny my feelings for Tory. She pulls me in like a magnet. Many Alphas have women beside their Lunas. Why are you so bitter about it? Accept her or the doors are behind you. It's your choice." "You want that Vixen? Fine, I'll leave you to them. Enjoy your lives." Heartbroken and burning in the need for revenge, Verena left them. She revived her wolf and decided to pick up where she left 7 years ago— but now, her ex-husband and son want her back. Will Verena forget their betrayal and go to them? Or will she continue to relish the taste of freedom and wait for a second-chance mate?

On Christmas Day, eight months pregnant, I struggled through the kitchen,cooking for my husband and his secretary. When I finally sat down, hoping to taste a piece of turkey I didn’t even get during Thanksgiving, my husband shoved me aside like I was nothing. He slid the turkey in front of his secretary instead. “Alison,you’re already so fat. Stop eating. Let Daisy have it—she deserves to enjoy your cooking.” Daisy，chewing on the turkey I had painstakingly prepared, had the audacity to mock me under the guise of playing truth or dare with my child. “So, what do you think your mom looks like?” “Mommy looks like a fat pig on a farm!” “Her stretch marks? They’re like disgusting worms crawling all over her. Even Santa would run for his life!” Their laughter erupted like daggers piercing me from all sides. Humiliation and rage burned through me as my dignity was stripped bare. I demanded an apology from that vile woman, but my husband—my husband!—turned his cold, cruel face toward me and said, “Get out of here.” Pregnant, exhausted, and humiliated, I stood there in shock. Then I snapped. I grabbed the Christmas cake and turkey and threw them in the trash. I walked out without looking back. This wretched family doesn’t deserve a second of my effort or a single ounce of my love!

The first thing I did after rebirth was follow my husband, Franklin Wallace, to the island for his military deployment. In my previous life, as a spoiled rich heiress from a wealthy family, I looked down on Franklin, the commander my family had arranged for me to marry. We fought constantly, huge arguments every few days, small quarrels in between. After having children, I grew to resent our two kids simply because they carried Franklin's blood. Later, when Franklin was ordered to be stationed on the island, I was the first to stand up and object to going with him. Since I opposed it, Franklin did not force me. He took our two kids and his widowed sister-in-law, Elsie Faulkner, to the island instead. Meanwhile, my spoiled and rebellious self could not wait to throw myself into the arms of my first love, Reuben Sandoval, once Franklin left. However, it did not take long before I discovered Reuben was nothing but a gold-digging scumbag who only wanted my money and body. He gave me an STI and drained my family fortune completely. When Franklin returned from the island with our children, they no longer recognized me as their mother and affectionately called Elsie "Mommy" instead. He even told me he had fallen in love with Elsie during their time together on the island. Eventually, I ended up homeless on the streets and starved to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Franklin was about to leave for his island deployment.

"Maaf, tapi aku tak bisa meneruskan pernikahan ini. Setelah kupikir aku masih terlalu muda dan naif. Aku mencintaimu, Anna, tapi tidak dengan menikah. Cita-citaku masih menunggu untuk kuraih." Aku hanya menatapnya dengan air penuh, tak percaya padahal besok adalah hari pernikahan kami. Semua hal sudah direncanakan secara matang, tapi malam ini dia masuk menerobos dalam kamarku dan mengatakan hal-hal yang mematahkan semua tulang-tulangku. "Pergi ..." Aku berkata dengan lirih dan mengusirnya. Aku membecinya sangat! Dia adalah laki-laki paling brengsek yang pernah kutemui. Dia mengagalkan acara pernikahan ini karena terlalu egois! Danish adalah laki-laki paling egois dan brengsek yang pernah kutemui! "Maafkan aku, Anna. Aku sangat mencintaimu!" Aku hanya menggeleng. Tak ada cinta, jika dia yang memulai dia juga yang mengakhiri semua ini. "Sungguh, maafkan aku." Aku semakin menggeleng dan ingin melempar apa saja di hadapannya. Dia yang melamarku, aku tahu kami memang masih sangat muda tapi dia menyakinkan jika kebersamaan kami tidak akan goyah walau sudah menikah nanti dan meyakinkanku berkali-kali semuanya baik-baik saja. Tapi lihatlah kini! "Aku membencimu sangat, Danish!" Dan kami dipertemukan kembali hingga lima tahun kemudian, di malam reunian sekolah yang akhirnya merusak segala move on yang telah kucapai! Reuni semalam, merusak move on sebelanga. _______________ Danish - Cerita orang tuanya di (Nanny to Mommy) Anna - Cerita orang tuanya di (I Was Never Your)

Untuk pengidap bipolar seperti Raya, kehadiran tiga orang sahabat sudah lebih dari cukup untuk memberikan arti hidup pada dunianya yang rumit. Gavin yang perhatian, Sal yang tampan, dan Asta yang bijak, adalah paket komplit yang mampu membuatnya bertahan melewati masa-masa sulit. Bukan hanya itu, Raya juga membutuhkan road trip untuk membuatnya tetap waras diantara fase yang seringkali membuatnya depresi dan hampir bunuh diri. Ujung Jawa, Bali, Lombok, Kupang, semua Raya singgahi demi menjaga bipolarnya tetap dalam batas aman. Kecuali satu tempat yang tak bisa ia datangi sendirian; Pulau Sumatera. Tempat dimana memori masa kecilnya tertinggal, tempat dimana ia merasa pernah memiliki keluarga, tempat dimana semua rahasia tentang masa lalunya terkuak. Kebencian sang ibu, kepergian sang ayah, kemarahan mereka berdua, kerinduan Raya. Ditemani ketiga sahabatnya, Raya akhirnya tiba di Pulau Sumatera. Kehadiran mereka dalam perjalanan istimewa tersebut, membuat setiap jengkal jalan yang penuh memori itu berubah jadi lebih berwarna. Tapi siapa sangka, ditengah perjalanan, Raya justru menemukan sebuah rahasia lain yang disembunyikan rapat-rapat oleh sahabatnya. Rahasia yang mengubah cara pandang Raya tentang cinta yang begitu asing dihidupnya. Rahasia yang membuatnya harus merasakan patah hati bahkan sebelum merasakan jatuh cinta dengan cara yang benar. Rahasia yang akhirnya membuat Raya menyadari, hidupnya berharga untuk orang lain.

Julio adalah pewaris muda dari keluarga kaya yang hidupnya dipenuhi pesta, kemewahan, dan kesombongan. Ia tak pernah tahu apa arti kehilangan dan perjuangan hidup, hingga hari pernikahannya berubah menjadi mimpi buruk. Sebuah kecelakaan membuatnya buta juga menewaskan seorang remaja laki-laki bernama Bayu, yang ditabraknya saat mencoba menghindari kereta bayi yang meluncur ke jalan. Bayu bukan siapa-siapa bagi Julio. Tapi bagi Laras. kakak Bayu. ia adalah segalanya. Mereka yatim piatu, dan Bayu adalah harapan terakhir Laras dalam hidup yang keras dan penuh perjuangan mereka. Ketika Julio menerima donor mata dari Bayu, penglihatannya kembali. Namun, dunia yang ia lihat kini berbeda. Bukan hanya karena mata itu milik orang lain, tapi karena hati Julio mulai berubah bersamaan dengannya. Ia melihat bayangan Bayu dalam setiap kedipan matanya seperti cermin, seperti film yang diputar ulang … bahkan Julio bisa melihat air mata Laras. Dari pria manja, kaya raya yang tak pernah tahu betapa susahnya hidup ini, Julio perlahan menjadi seseorang yang belajar mencintai hidup dengan cara yang berbeda, lewat mata Bayu. Namun saat kebenaran terungkap, bisakah Laras memaafkan? Mampukah ia mencintai laki-laki yang membawa sepasang mata adiknya… tapi juga perlahan mengisi kekosongan di hatinya? From Your Eyes Only adalah kisah tentang kehilangan, pengampunan, dan cinta yang datang dari arah yang tak terduga, dari mata, turun ke hati.