Atashin'chi

Si Mariya Luiesa Inocencio ay isang desi nuebe anyos na dalaga. Mag-isang itinaguyod ng ina at kapwa sandigan ang bawat isa. Kaya nang magkaroon ng malubhang karamdaman ang ina ay handa niyang gawin ang lahat upang maipagamot lamang ito. Kapalit ng sariling dignidad, pikit-matang isinalang ni Mariya ang sarili sa isang subasta. Ang matipunong binata na nakabili sa kaniya ay walang iba kundi si Montgomery Brylly Montañez III—isang tanyag at multibilyunaryong negosyante na nangangailangan ng anak upang makuha ang atensyon ng sariling ama na ninanais nitong lubos. Magawa kaya nilang punan ang pangangailangan ng isa’t isa? O ang mga paraan nilang iyon ang maghahatid sa kanila tungo sa mas komplikadong sitwasyon?

At our bachelor party, Harry Cole, my fiance and I played Truth or Dare with his friends. We spun the bottle, and it stopped in front of Joanna, a woman he had known since childhood. The dare was to do the deed with the person placed right next to you, and Harry had been sitting beside her the entire evening. Feeling uncomfortable, I quickly said, “Why don’t you just pick Truth instead of Dare?” Joanna, however, did not back down. She sent me a look full of contempt and replied, “Don’t be such a prude, Suzie. It’s not that big of a deal. If I don’t mind, why should you?” She then looked at Harry. “Do you mind, Harry?” Everyone around us started cheering them on. Someone said, “Suzie can’t have fun to save her own life. If Harry doesn’t want to, I will gladly do it. Pick me, Joanna!” I grabbed Harry’s hand and turned to leave, but he flung my hand off. “What about Joanna? She has no one to help her if I leave. We’re about to get married, Suzie. Can’t I have one last night of freedom?” After saying that, he pinned Joanna under him, and his friends just cheered even more. I stared at him and Joanna. At that moment, I no longer saw a future for us.

"I never thought you would trap me, taking advantage of me to have a child." Regina can't even remember sleeping with the guy who always annoyed her. How could she have his child? Henry humiliated Regina in public with insults that put her in a difficult situation. He also forced her into a contract marriage, dragging her into even more trouble. For the sake of that child, she is willing to endure it all. Little does Regina know, the child who has been her light all this time is hiding something unexpected.

Fiona Carolina Mendez grew up being the center of attraction. She is the daughter of both politicians and they’ve been very careful with their actions. But when Fiona got pregnant, her parents were disappointed with her and almost despised her. In order for her to save her parents from shame, she left home and hide her child. Four years later, she met Yohan Tanaka, a ruthless playboy and a billionaire who seeks for a hook-up and tried to get in her life without knowing that there would be a twist that could change their lives as they became close to each other.

For the hundredth time, my dad hints at us that he really wants to become a grandfather during New Year Eve's dinner. Lydia Cooper, my wife who has insisted on living a childless life for the past decade, just smiles before placing more food on his plate. After dinner, she ducks out to the balcony and murmurs into her phone, "Be good, now. Mommy will visit you a few days later." I can feel my blood running cold in my veins as I stand in the living room with a glass of water. As I approach Lydia, I do my best to keep my voice light and teasing. "I just heard you say the word 'mommy.' Do you have an illegitimate child out there somewhere?" Lydia rubs her nose, her tone now awkward. "You might be hearing things. It was just my friend's child…" My heart plunges into my stomach pit at her words. I've been in love with Lydia for ten years. It's only natural that I know how she acts whenever she's lying.

In the third year the law firm was established, Claire Stone joined the firm as an assistant. From then on, my boyfriend started buying breakfast for her. My childhood friend also drove her to and from work. As for me, I became the wicked woman who bullied the newbie. The repeated disappointments made me decide to expel them from my life. So I agreed to a marriage contract with someone else, and while my boyfriend and childhood friend mocked me, I left the firm we had formed together. Later, they learned that they had been showering all their love and attention on a spy sent by a rival law firm. When they regretted their actions and asked me to go back to them, my husband sent them an invitation to our wedding.

"No! H'wag Alex! Parang-awa mo na! Nakikiusap ako! Pakawalan mo na 'ko! Palayain mo na ako! Hayaan no na akong makahinga!" "Ahhh! Fuck!" Tumilapon na lamang ako sa kama habang hawak ko ang mukha ko. Isang malakas na sampal ang natanggap ko mula sa asawa ko. Halos dumilim ang paningin ko. Para akong madismaya. My heart thuds painfully in my chest as my tears fall endlessly. Humahagulhol lamang ako sa pag-iyak. Bumubuhos ang mga luha ko. I shook my head terribly. Suddenly my eyes widened. My fears crawled on my throat. "H-Huwag Alex!" As I glowled in fear. As Alex ever did. He's a ruthless husband, a devil husband. Lagi niya akong pinapahirapan at sinasakal. I know he wants to suffer me after all. "No!" It will be worsen. It's fucking hell. Napagapang ako sa kama paatras. Nangangatog ang mga tuhod ko sa takot. I bite my nails. I'm screaming in pain. I shook my head. Everything went dark when Alex closed the door. Gusto kong sumigaw. Gusto kong humingi ng saklolo. Gusto kong tumakbo but I have nothing. Papatayin ako ni Alex kapag ginawa ko 'yon. Paparusahan niya ako. Agad akong naalarma nang makita kong papalapit sa akin si Alex. Nakahawak ito sa kaniyang sinturon. Hinuhubad niya ito mula sa kaniyang pantalon. Nanlilisik ang bawat titig niya sa akin. Kita ko ang paglagok niya. Niyakap ko na lamang ang mga tuhod ko habang nanginginig ang mga ito. Napahikbi ako sa pag-iyak. Walang boses ang lumabas sa aking bibig dahil sa sobrang takot. My lips trembled down. "You will never escaped with me Juliana. If you tried to escape with me? You will die! Hindi ka makakalabas ng buhay sa mansyong ito kapag tinangka mo 'yon! You will only serve your beauty with your master."

Xiania Irish Flint, a wild and seductive twenty five year old woman who never had any boyfriends and boyfriend in her whole existence. However, it doesn't make her innocent though. It's actually the opposite. Dahil sa pananaw nito at mga prinsipyong ayaw tibagin tungkol sa mga kalalakihan, natutunan niyang mamuhay ng dalawamput-limang taon nang walang umaaligid sa kanyang lalaki. Well, aside from her cousins. Her life was simple—working on the Organization that was lead by her Family. An organization that helps people in a not so good and bad way. Iyon lamang ang pinagka kaabalahan niya, nang aakit ng mga lalaki bago ito papatayin. O kaya naman ay tutulungan ang mga kababaihang wina-walanghiya na ng iba. Career is way better than Men. That was her Motto. Mas yayaman daw siya doon, mas matututo, mas sasaya, mas may mapapala, not until her parents suddenly pushed her to marry someone she doesn't even know. Ang mga prinsipyong matagal nang hindi natibag nino man ay siyang susubukin nito. She badly wants to disobey her parents, but the Commander of the Organization, which is her Uncle —would never let her. Aalisin raw siya nito sa Organisasyong minahal niya kapag hindi pinakasalan ang lalaking naipakilala. And just like in some cliche stories, her principles were successfully broken by her soon to be husband, none other than Vraxx Caldwell. But well, that's what she thought.

On our wedding day, my fiancée humiliated me in front of everyone. She postponed the ceremony, not for an emergency, but to throw a lavish wedding for her childhood friend's pet hamster. Dressed in my tailored suit, I got shoved off the stage and was laughed at by everyone. My mom couldn't take the humiliation. Her heart gave out, and no ambulance could save her. Days after we buried her, my fiancée reappeared, demanding that I donate a kidney to that friend. The surgery nearly killed me, leaving me broken and betrayed. It prompted me to end things with her. She spiraled into regret, tormenting herself to win me back.

I was a top-tier heart surgeon. The kind they gave a government-issued black SUV with diplomatic plates—armored, red-light-skipping, cleared-for-anything kind of ride. I parked it at my fiancé Marco Varonetti's place so he could keep it in shape. Bad call. One day, I got an emergency call: heart transplant for the Chancellor—yeah, that Chancellor, the one with state secrets ticking inside him. I rushed over to Marco's to grab the car. Right as I was about to leave, some rando slid into the back seat like she owned it. "Mall first. I need a mani," she barked. "Then get the ice cream Marco ordered. If it melts, I'll kill you." Excuse me? "This is my car," I said, trying to stay chill. "I've got a critical airport run. You need to get out." She rolled her eyes. "You're just the driver. Open those eyes and check the plate." Then the maid chimed in. "Everyone knows Mr. Varonetti takes Ms. Caro out in this car. Nobody says a word." I froze. Marco used my federally issued SUV... to chauffeur her? This wasn't just messy. This was criminal.