Baki Mother

My mother was and is a lot of things, but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded. My soon to be step-father was a lot of things, but he wasn’t one to accept humiliation. And for that reason he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.

Umambon sa Baguio nang gabing iyon, at si Lia Santiago, heartbroken sa betrayal ng ex na pinsan niya, ay napadpad sa Luna Azul bar. Doon niya nakilala si Rafael Ilustre, mysterious, commanding, at intense, at nagkaroon sila ng gabing puno ng tawa, tequila, at titig na nag-iwan ng hindi malilimutang connection. Nagising si Lia na wala si Rafael, pero may ring sa daliri at note na nagsasabing “No regrets”—at doon niya na-realize na siya ang live-in partner ng ina niya. Sa brunch at dinner, lumabas ang forbidden attraction at guilt, habang unti-unting nabunyag ang nakaraan nina Rafael at Vivian. Sa terrace at villa, bawat dialogue at sulyap ay puno ng tension at emosyon, habang lumalalim ang mystery at personal stakes. Ang nobela ay isang emotional rollercoaster ng forbidden attraction, family secrets, at choices na magbabago sa buhay, at magpapa-question sa puso at isip ni Lia sa bawat sandali.

Pagkalipas ng apat na taong pagkukulong sa maliit na mundo niya, ipinasya ni Amber na piliting kalimutan ang mapait na karanasan sa buhay at makipagsapalaran sa Maynila para muling bumangon at tuparin ang kaniyang mga pangarap para sa kaniyang pamilya. Pero ang hindi niya napaghandaan sa kaniyang pagbangon ay ang muling pagsasanga ng kanilang landas ng lalaking pilit na niyang kinakalimutan. Sa muli nilang pagkikita ng dating kasintahan ay mapapatunayan niyang mahal pa rin niya ito sa kabila ng pagdaan ng mga taon. Muling nagmahal ang puso niya para sa lalaking ang nararamdaman sa kaniya ay pagkasuklam. At wala itong ginawa kun'di ang sariwain ang sugat na nag-iwan sa kaniya ng napakalalim na peklat. Darating pa nga ba ang pagkakataon na malalaman nila ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit sila nagkahiwalay noon, o pinagtagpo lang silang muli para tukdukan ang kanilang relasyon na sinubok ng panahon?

After almost a decade, muling nagbalik sa Pilipinas si Zam galing Australia. Kung siya lamang ang masusunod ay hindi na niya gugustuhin pang bumalik ng Farm nila sa Mindanao, pero mapilit ang Kuya Marco niya. The place reminded her of so many bitter memories in the past. Mga alaalang ayaw na sana niyang balikan pa. Ngunit masyado nga namang mapaglaro ang tadhana. Dahil sa muling pagbabalik niya sa farm ay hindi niya akalaing mag tatagpo rin muli ang landas nila ni Caleb, her brother's Bestfriend. Isa kasi ito sa mga nanakit sa puso niya noon at naging dahilan kung bakit agad niyang tinapos ang kanyang pagbabakasyon noon. At sa muli nilang paghaharap ni Caleb ay naramdaman niyang muli ang sakit ng nakaraan. Sakit at damdamin na matagal na niyang kinalimutan. Maniniwala ba siya rito na mahal siya nito, gayong mariin siyang pinagtulakan nito noon papalayo?

Walang modo, bully, bad boy at siga, ganoon si Shawn Rebato kung ilarawan ng mga taong nakakakilala sa kanya. Kilala ito bilang leader ng fraternity sa isang University na pinapasukan nito. Lahat kinakatakutan si Shawn, ang mag-angas at humamon sa binata ay makakatikim nang matinding parusa. Hanggang sa isang transferee student ang malakas ang loob na kontrahin at hamunin ito. Si Charlene Dimagiba, isang transferee student. Nasunugan ng bahay sa Maynila kaya walang ibang pagpipilian ang magulang ni Charlene kung hindi ang bumalik sa Davao kung saan nakatira ang ibang kamag-anak nila. Back to zero sila. Kaya labag man sa loob ng dalaga ang paglipat ng school ay wala na itong ibang nagawa. Subalit hindi inaasahan ni Charlene na sa unang araw pa lang nito sa University, imbes kaibigan ang mahahanap niya. Isang kaaway pala ang makikilala nito agad. Lumaking palaban si Charlene kaya kahit anong pang pambu-bully ni Shawn ay hindi uubra sa kanya. Ngunit, pagdating sa insidenteng puri na ng dalaga ang nakasalalay ay ibang usapan na. Sa paanong paraan ba makakabawi si Shawn kay Charlene? Maniwala kaya ang dalaga kung aamin si Shawn sa totoong damdamin nito? Pero paano na lang kung malaman ni Shawn na may ibang mahal si Charlene? Kailangan na ba ni Shawn na magparaya?

A web of secrets and lies threatens to destroy a marriage and a friendship. When Sophia sacrifices her son to save her friend's marriage, she never expects the truth to come back to haunt her. But as deception and betrayal unravel, Luciano is left with an impossible choice: his wife or the truth. Will Hanna's greed prevail, or will Sophia's selfless love redeem them all?

My mom treated me like the dirt beneath her shoes but worshiped my cousin like a queen. Since I could walk, I had scrubbed clothes and cooked meals, but I would still be yelled at or smacked if I messed up. On the contrary, my cousin twirled in princess dresses and played the piano. She was cherished by my aunt and uncle like she was the center of their world. Then came the day everything changed. At my cousin's birthday party, my mom got drunk and spilled the secret—she switched me and my cousin at birth. It turned out that I wasn't her daughter; I was my aunt's daughter. I was over the moon. Finally, I thought I'd found my real family, people who might actually care about me. But when I told my aunt, she just smirked. "You think I didn't know? I don't want you. You'll never be my daughter." Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water. I couldn't understand. Why didn't anyone want me? But that day, I made a vow—I'd never beg for anyone's love again. Years later, when I got into Mayward University—the best educational institution in the country—I threw two DNA test reports on the table in front of them. For the first time, they both looked terrified.

By the fifth year of my marriage to James Hill, he began pretending to be his late twin brother, the late Don of the family. With that, he took over all of a Don’s duties and the role of my sister-in-law, Hilary’s husband. Every time after he slept with her, he would cut his arm open, kneel before me, and beg for forgiveness. “Pia, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. Once Hilary gives birth to the heir and secures her position, I’ll fake my death and come back for you.” He told me his twin brother had died saving him, so he had to fulfill his brother’s last wish. During the year he pretended to be his brother, James slept with Hilary ninety-nine times. After a full year, Hilary finally gave birth to the family’s heir. I truly believed James would fake his death as promised, then take our son and me away from this bloody life. However, I saw him with Hilary in his arms, teasing the tiny baby she carried. “Hilary, I’ll stay with you and our child until he’s ready to take over as the next Don.” Silently, I wiped my tears and went back to my room to pack my suitcase. My son saw me crying and ran into my arms, gently wiping away my tears with his little hands. “Ma, Aunt Hilary already had her baby. Why isn’t Papa coming home yet?” I placed my clothes into the suitcase as I told him softly, “Because he doesn’t want us anymore. But don’t be sad, sweetheart. I will build us a home.” If James wanted to raise an heir, then I would return to North Atlantis’s most powerful mafia family, take my rightful place as my father’s heir, and become the Godmother of the Mafia.

Rhea Ravelle, heiress of a powerful and influential family, goes against her family's wishes and cuts ties with them. She chooses to marry Carter Jamison, a man with a failing career and two children born out of wedlock. For six years, she raises his children as if they were her own and helps Carter rebuild his crumbling business. Under her care, the kids grow into kind, well-mannered little stars, and Carter's company finally makes it big and goes public. But right at the celebration marking his entry into high society, the biological mother of his two children suddenly shows up. And Carter, who is usually so calm, completely loses it. He begs the woman to stay, making Rhea the laughingstock of the entire city. That night, he doesn't come home. Instead, he takes the children and runs straight back to his old flame, playing house as a happy family. Soon after, Carter files for divorce. "Thanks for everything, Rhea. But the kids need their birth mother." The children's mother also says, "Thank you for taking care of them all these years. But a stepmother will never compare to a birth mother." So blood beats love? If that's how it is, then she's done playing stepmother. However, the children reject their birth mother flat-out, and they don't want Carter either. They declare, "Rhea is our only mom! If you're getting divorced, then we're going wherever she goes!"

After knowing that her boyfriend cheated on her, Beatrice received an offer to be a substitute model for a mother-son advertisement. There she worked with Caleb and she didn’t know how much that child would change her life. Having all her future plans collapsed after the breakup, Beatrice was at a loss. And just like a twist of fate, Callum, Caleb’s father came into the picture. Because his son wanted Beatrice as his mother, he made a deal with her—a contractual marriage – but her role was only to be Caleb’s stepmother. Could she keep her role as a stepmother even when she started developing feelings for Callum?