Better Off Novels & Stories

"Kung gagawa ako ng anak na bago ay sisiguraduhin kong sisimulan ko ngayong gabi," I cut her words and stated. Natigilan siya roon. Nakikita ko ang pagkalito sa mga mata niya habang nakatitig sa akin. "Akala ko ba ang mastermind ng pagkamatay ng pamilya mo ang dahilan kaya ka narito sa kuwarto ko?" pang-asar niyang tanong. "Bakit pakiramdam ko gusto mo lang akong landiin ngayon?" "Now you're talking, Mayumi." I pulled her waist and kissed her passionately. She tried not to respond, but she did. "Fucking me won't answer your queries, Isidro..." sumisinghap niyang sabi habang nakatingin sa mga labi ko. "Yeah, right. But fucking you will make you again mine!" ****** Isidro “ICE” Ferreira - Mafia boss of the FSO. Associate of Foedus Organization. Cold as ice when he kills. But… he softened when he settled down. He did his best for a simple life, hid his identity, and lived like an ordinary employee until his wife and daughter were bombed to their death. Being shattered in his dream of a happy family, he wants revenge. Retaliation. Plan. Acceptance. Ice Ferreira promises himself that he won't stop until he has the justice he needs… but destiny is his number one enemy as he encounters the same woman who brought all his pain before; the woman he suspected for the death of his family. Mayumi Lumacad - a beautiful Filipina nanny slash assassin, who will make Ice believe again in fate and endless danger in love. ****** This is a story that is close to a real Mafia way of life. If you are a sucker for romance and simple plot, better not read this!!!

Aliyah has spent her entire life living in the shadow of her sister, Aleli. Aleli often took away the things that made her happy, including her boyfriend, Benedict. She caught them in bed together, and instead of apologizing, Benedict blamed her for his infidelity. He accused her of lacking too much in their relationship, saying that Aleli filled those gaps and was better than her in every way. Aliyah’s heart shattered completely when the two got engaged. At their engagement party, Aleli created a scene, accusing Aliyah in front of their parents of trying to seduce Benedict. Heartbroken and humiliated she ran out of the party. She almost got hit by a car, and with so much stress and shock, she fainted. When she woke up, she found herself in Conner’s bedroom, Benedict’s uncle, a congressman. Conner made her an unexpected offer: a marriage of convenience. He needed a wife to improve his public image for the upcoming election. Aliyah and Conner’s relationship was starting to improve, but it didn’t take long before the fragile foundation they were building began to shake when Aleli found out about her marriage to Conner—a man far wealthier and more powerful than Benedict—started to do things and create issues to ruined her marriage to Conner. Despite that, Aliyah and Conner grew even closer. They discovered each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which only strengthened their bond. Just when Aliyah thought nothing could break them and she was finally ready to admit her love for Conner, his mother arrived along with Conner’s ex-girlfriend and dropped a bombshell—she had returned to tell Conner that they had a child together. But Conner did everything to prove that no matter what happens, he will always choose her above everything else.

Joy Santos only wanted a quiet life in the province. But one messy fight, one sosyalera enemy, and one powerful matriarch later—she finds herself shipped off to Manila as a personal maid, buried in debt, and completely out of her depth. Enter Attorney Caelius Montemayor: rich, ruthless, perfectionist... and unfortunately, her new boss. He’s everything Joy can’t stand—suplado, Englishero, and constantly correcting her Bisaya-tagalog grammar. She’s everything he hates—baduy, tactless, and always one step away from disaster. Their worlds were never meant to collide. But under one roof, bickering turns to tension, and tension turns to something neither of them can control. Just when feelings get too real, Joy disappears—without warning, without goodbye. Years later, she’s back. Not as a maid, but as a fierce new lawyer… and Caelius’ biggest rival in court. What she doesn’t know? He’s still not over her. What he doesn’t know? She’s hiding more than just her heart. Some battles aren’t fought in the courtroom—they’re fought where it hurts the most.

Isang gabi lang. Isang salitang masakit. That's all it took para mawasak si Naomi Chavez. "Boring." Iyon ang last insult ng ex niya before he walked away—para sa babaeng "mas adventurous," "mas marunong mag-satisfy." Pissed off and humiliated, Naomi made a reckless choice: she'll find someone to teach her all the things she's been too scared to try. Every touch. Every sin. Every filthy secret na hindi niya pa alam. And there's only one man qualified for the job—Raze Vitale. Raze is danger wrapped in expensive suits. He doesn't do romance. He doesn't do sweet. He does raw, rough, and relentless. A man who thrives sa init ng gabi and the sound of his name being moaned. Kaya when Naomi showed up with a proposition too tempting to refuse, he said yes. But every lesson has a price. Every moan has consequences. Revenge turned into craving. Lessons turned into obsession. But sa larong ito, who's really winning? The innocent student learning to sin... or the ruthless teacher who's slowly losing himself?

"Hm, Linden..." halinghing ko nang sapuin ni Linden ang mayayaman kong dibdib. "This is wrong ugh~ ahh!" daing ko nang masahiin niya ang malulusog kong dibdib. "No, this is not wrong, Jan. I'm willing to break off the engagement with the girl." Aniya saka niya ako siniil ng mapupusok na halik na agad ko namang tinugon. "Ah~ Linden hmm~ please continue... more." Ungol ko nang i-angat niya ang hita ko at pinatong niya sa hita niya. Kinapa nito ang pagkababae kong namamasa na ata sinalat iyon. Ilang buwan na rin no'ng maging magkaklase kami at hindi ko maitatanggi na kahit may pagkasaltik siya ay may nararamdaman ako sakanya. Our teacher hired me as his tutor na sinang-ayunan niya agad kaya wala akong nagawa. He's clingy type of person na sa akin lang niya ipinapakita and he's always like this, pinapaligaya ako after tutoring him. "Ah! Ahh~ ahh!" ungol ko nang simulan niyang ipasok-labas ang kanyang daliri sa namamasa kong hiyas.

Alliana Raine Ramos started working in Vergara Group of Companies when she was twenty-five. As the breadwinner of her family, she needed to work her ass off just to provide for the needs and wants of her family, and also hers. At sa halos tatlong taon niya bilang sekretarya ni Sebastian Vergara, hindi niya maipagkailang humahanga siya rito. Dahil sa halos tatlong taon na kasa-kasama siya sa mga lakad nito, unti-unti niyang nakilala ang kan'yang boss—his real identity behind that competitive and bossy persona. But of course, she needed to know her limits, to set some boundaries between them, because after all, she's just nothing but the CEO’s secretary. Pero paano kung isang gabi ay napagdesisyunan niyang ibigay ang sarili sa kan’yang boss na siyang minamahal niya? Will she take the risk of admitting her feelings to her boss then? Ngunit nang napag-alaman niyang nagbunga ang isang gabing pinagsaluhan nilang dalawa, magagawa pa kaya niyang ipaglaban ang pagmamahal niya sa binata gayong alam niyang wala pa itong planong magka-anak?

Walang matandaan si Mark sa kasunduang nagdala sa kanya sa cruising trip na kasama si Marlyn at Wanda, magkapatid na nakilala lamang niya dahil sa hindi inaasahang pagkakatuklas niya sa kataksilan ng kasintahang si Cleo na dapat sana ay aalukin na niya ng kasal. Sila ang mga berdugong dapat ay magbibigay katuparan sa hangarin niyang mamatay nang gabing iyon--as it turned out, the siblings were tour guides specializing in executing euthanasia to travelers with a death wish. But fate had better plan in store for them. Sinalubong sila ng malakas na bagyo sa gitna ng paglalayag. They were left with nothing but the company of each other and a dead engine that could get them nowhere. Napadpad sila sa isang isla kung saan masusukat ang haba ng pisi ni Mark. Masusukat maging ang kakayahan niyang lumaban sa tukso. Lalo at habang tumatagal sila sa isla, nagkakaroon siya ng hindi maipaliwanag na damdamin para sa dalawa. Umibig siya ng sabay sa dalawang babae na hindi niya puwedeng angkinin pareho. Muli ay natagpuan niya ang sarili sa isang sitwasyon na higit pang kumplikado sa delubyong nagdala sa kanila sa islang iyon. Ano ang naghihintay na kapalaran sa kanilang tatlo sa isla? Sino sa dalawang babae ang higit niyang kailangan at dapat niyang piliin? Kung isip ang piiralin niya, wala siyang pipiliin sa magkapatid para pare-pareho ang laban. Walang masasaktan. Walang magdidiwang. Ngunit dumating siya sa puntong kailangan pa rin naman niyang mamili. Kung sino kina Marlyn at Wanda ang magwawagi sa puso niya, tadhana na ang magtatakda.

Dinala ni Naomi Mendoza ang kanyang anak sa ospital para sa isang consultation. Ngunit tila pinaglalaruan siya ng tadhana dhil ang attending physician ay ang ex boyfriend niya. Sa loob ng pitong taon, binago na ni Naomi ang kanyang pangalan, tinakasan niya ang nakaraan, at mula sa pagiging chubby na babae ay isa na siyang sexy at charming. Hindi siya nakilala ng lalaki at lalong hindi nito alam na nagkaroon sila ng anak. Hinawakan ng kanyang anak ang kamay niya at mahinang nagtanong, “Mommy, bakit ka umiiyak?” Hindi nakasagot si Naomi. Ang tanging gusto niya ay tumalikod at tumakbo palayo. Pitong taon na ang nakararaan, si Naomi ang naging tampulan ng tukso sa St. Aurelius University nang lihim siyang maging girlfriend ng school heartthrob na si Cormac Lagdameo. Inakala niyang tunay ang pagmamahal nito sa kaniya hanggang sa winasak ng malamig na tinig nito ang kanyang puso. “It’s just for fun. I’m going abroad soon.” Naomi ended that bitter love. Ngayon, muling pinagtagpo sila ng tadhana. Pilit na lumalayo si Naomi, ngunit hindi siya pinakawalan ni Cormac. Ginamit nito ang kapangyarihan, at kayamanan upang muling itali siya sa mundo ng lalaki. "Dr. Lagdameo, may asawa na ako." Sa loob ng marangyang Maybach, mahigpit na hinawakan ng lalaki ang kanyang baywang bago siya mariing hinalikan. “Naomi, let me be your lover. I’m richer, younger, and I’ll give you a better experience than him.” Seven years ago, she was his secret girlfriend. Now, he’s begging to be her lover.

Pepper is male, and Joey is female. Pepper is hiding until he can prove he is not the culprit in a sex scandal involving a young actress. Joey is a writer who needs a different space to get off the rut of writer’s block. Sa malas, nalito ang nagpaparenta sa Tagaytay resthouse na pareho nilang pagtataguan at sa pag-aakala nang magkabilang side na parehong babae o parehong lalaki ang dalawa, they end up together in it in an incoming typhoon. Resulta—kailangang palipasin muna iyon bago maayos ang lahat. Kaso, sa simula pa lang ay kasing lakas na rin ng buhawi ang pisikal na atraksyon sa pagitan nilang dalawa, at matapos ang unos sa labas, they were so into each other feeling nila di na sila bibitiw sa isa't isa against all odds. Mahirap tikisin ang tunay na pag-ibig. And it’s not that easy. The scandal that involved Pepper, remember? And, a riot in one of their romps in bed had them worried Joey may be pregnant. First love pa nga lang buntis na agad? Handa na ba ang kanilang kababagong usbong na pag-ibig sa mga pagsubok na dala sa kanila ng tadhana agad-agad?

Cloud Serravalle, 34, is the eldest among the Serravalle brothers. Being the eldest, he doesn’t have any choice but to manage their real estate company and make sure that it will stay on top of the business no matter what. Despite growing up with a strict parents, Cloud still has happy memories from when he was a child, primarily because of his childhood friend Seren Evangeline Del Valle, 29, who happened to be his first love and almost became a wife, not until they discovered the things Seren’s parents did to their company. Despite his love for her, Cloud decided to break off their engagement and push Seren away without knowing that she was carrying his secret baby. Four years later, when Cloud finally decided to get engaged again to his new girlfriend Sienna Valmonte, for the sake of their business ventures, that is also the time when he met Seren again on the same island where the engagement was supposed to happen. Fueled with anger because of their past, Cloud Serravalle decided to punish her ex-fiancé Seren Evangeline Del Valle by having sex with her on the island and by leaving her once again to continue his engagement with Sienna, without knowing that for the second time around, Seren is carrying his baby secretly until the truth behind their past is finally untold.