Better Than Before Lynn Painter

**Mature Audience Only** This is a collection of steamy short stories, showing that a relationship does not need to be all about s*x... But its a good start... The first story was about Luke, who had a chance to be a tutor to the girl he was in love with. Will they have happy endings? See and find out.

They said I was beautiful — but not real. That my smile was perfect — but my past made me broken. I spent years trying to prove I was more than the girl who changed her face to survive the world’s cruelty. I married Julian Vale, believing love would finally see me. I called Serena Blake my sister, trusting her more than my own reflection. And when my world collapsed under secrets, silence, and the weight of never being enough — I disappeared. Then I opened my eyes… Ten years earlier. Before the surgery. Before the vows. Before I forgot who I was beneath the makeup and the mask of confidence. This time, I don’t need to be fixed. This time, I don’t need to be forgiven. I remember every lie. Every betrayal. Every time I silenced my voice to keep the peace. So I’m not here to win back love. I’m not here to punish the past. I’m here to become the woman I was always meant to be — unedited, unafraid, and finally, completely seen. I was more than pretty. This time, I’ll live like I believe it.

(ONGOING) 2022 Working in the underground archive of Hills Inc. a company that took over her father's, Caroline Ann Wright, a beautiful black woman experiences much more than she ever thought she would in her lifetime. ***** Caroline Ann Wright lost her parents in a plane crash when she was just seven years old. Her Aunt took her in because of the fortune her parents had left behind. At eighteen, she was abandoned to live on the streets. Twenty four years old, she works at Hills Inc. a building where her father once ran his company, now taken over by a new one. It didn't matter to her, not as long as she gets paid. Later on, she realizes her job in the underground archive is much more than bookkeeping. Instead, she is to ensure the secret door containing the company's secrets is not breached by outsiders. Fate aligns her meeting with the cocky playboy CEO, Dawn Hills who had lost his mother to cancer, and has quite a strained relationship with his father. At first, he lied about his true position in the company just to know her. In his words, Caroline seems rigid and makes his curiosity swell. Their story breaks into a full blown romance. However, like the saying goes...it is not always sunshine and rainbows.

Synopsis The life journey of Anna Beatrice or Tris changed completely when the man she loved so much dumped her for another girl. The happy plans that she and her lover had built were now gone just like that when Christopher Sterling admitted that he no longer needed Tris in his life since he found a new figure who was more useful for his success. Feeling betrayed and used by her ex-lover, Tris was reluctant to be down for too long in her own tragic story, the 25-year-old girl rose and showed who she really was. A figure that none of her friends or even her beloved ex knew. There are many secrets behind her innocent and simple life, and when all those secrets are slowly revealed, Christopher returns asking for mercy and a second chance in front of Tris. Will Tris give him that chance?

there are two collage students who have different populations in life, natasha kim santos is a kind girl and have a secret in her life but what if she meets a guy she use to call ace? Will he still hide his most hidden secret even from his family? Will she walk away or tell him the truth?

At the wedding, just as I was about to exchange rings with my fiancée, her conniving boyfriend intentionally pushed his son toward her. Right in front of everyone, the boy looked up with teary eyes and asked, "Mom, why are you marrying this man? Don't you want me and Dad anymore?" My fiancée, who never lied, smiled, took the child's hand, and said, "I was only pretending with this man earlier. Now I am going to marry your father." The banquet hall buzzed with whispers. Everyone expected me to get jealous and blow up. Instead, I said the child came first and calmly handed the ring to the boyfriend sitting below the stage. Seeing how cooperative I was, my fiancée grinned and promised she would give me a healthy baby boy someday as a thank you. However, she seemed to have forgotten that we had not officially tied the knot yet. Truth be told, I had no intention of ever doing so.

Kara Hatchett once dreamed of Derrick Whitney’s love. Why shouldn’t she? He married her after all. But three years have passed since her secret marriage to the billionaire, and Derrick seems to dislike her more than ever. Even worse, his ex-college sweetheart, Jade Black is back in town after breaking his heart and stealing from his family before she left, but Derrick seems to have forgiven her. Even worse, he’s publicly in love with her, and acting like the doting boyfriend even if he refuses to acknowledge her as his girlfriend. So, with only two months left in their contract, Kara knows their marriage is over. She’s ready to bury the remnants of her unrequited love for him and move on with her life, ready to divorce Derrick and leave him without looking back. But Derrick isn’t letting her go…

Upset about the sudden marriage arrangement, Via ran away from home to come back with shocking news: she was pregnant and did not even know who the father was. Due to disappointment, her father sent her away. But after a few years, she was asked to return with her adorable twins. Little did she know that as soon as she stepped foot in her home country, she would once again encounter the stranger who gifted her two adorable children, and her life would be turned upside down when the man started pursuing her. “We already had children together. Aren't we a little more than strangers?”

One night of passion. One ring. Two brothers It was meant to be one last night of freedom before a lifetime commitment to a man she knew nothing about. One night to forget all her sorrows and have fun. But a night of fun turned into a mistake she could never undo. It turned into a night of sin. Because the man who set her body on fire last night was her soon to be brother-in-law. And he’s not done with her. Now, she wore his brother’s ring, but he wore her secret like a crown. If she won’t come to him willingly, he’d gladly make her remember who made her scream.

Lindsey had the perfect life. The man of her dreams that was not only good-looking, but charming and everything else she'd always wanted in a mate. She gave everything to him and in return, he took her life. Now that she's reborn she's going to take back what belongs to her and get her revenge on those that betrayed her and nothing is going to get in her way. Except for maybe falling in love again with a man from her previous life she'd never noticed before, but will their love be enough to stay her hand or will she get her vengence at all costs?