Bother Antonym

My mom, Susan, had a habit of sending me to get her shopping. However, she would always leave out a zero when paying me back what was owed, blaming on her poor eyesight. I never minded. In fact, I would just cover the cost without another word. Then, Summer, my sister, had to throw shade. “Mom sends you money whenever she wants something. You never show us the actual costs, though. I bet you’re making a nice little profit off Mom behind our backs.” Susan smiled and didn’t even bother to defend me, as if confirming Summer’s accusations. My heart sank. Over the years, I had bought her things from major appliances to the smallest groceries, and each time, the payment she sent was short. Susan would just brush the whole thing off by saying, “Oh, my eyes aren’t what they used to be. My bad.” I had poured hundreds of thousands into her expenses, only to end up with a reputation as a thief who cheated her own family. When Susan sent me money for the New Year’s Eve catering, I simply booked food that fit the budget she paid for.

His eyes returned to me—slow, assessing. Then, without warning, his hands shot up and clamped around my throat. I gasped, instinctively clawing at his arms. He didn’t move. “Disobey me again,” he said, voice low, stripped of warmth, “and we won’t be counting next time.” Even shaking, I lifted my chin. “Then don’t mistake silence for obedience,” I said hoarsely. Carlino’s voice followed—calm, absolute, as if nothing had happened. “Lock her floor tonight.” That was when it settled. There was no mercy here. No exaggeration. Every word, every threat—he meant them. He wasn’t pretending to be the devil. He simply didn’t bother hiding it. --- She hates him. He refuses to let himself want her. Lina Gray never thought love would betray her. Until the man she trusted, traded her life to pay his debts. Delivered into the hands of Carlino Lacentra, the Mafia king whose name ends conversations. Lina is stripped of choice and crowned Donna to secure a throne she never asked for. In his world, power is law, loyalty is currency, and a woman beside the king is never just a woman.

My wife, Sarah, died unexpectedly. My in-laws made an absurd request. "Why not have Stella play both roles? After all, Luke can't be without a mother." My brother-in-law, Greg, yelled at me, calling me shameless, and stormed out in anger. I looked at my sister-in-law, Stella, who looked exactly like my late wife. I could hardly conceal my grief. I was about to urge them to abandon their ridiculous idea, when I accidentally overheard a conversation between her and her parents. "It was Stella who died, so why did you lie and claim it was you?" Sarah sighed. "I love Greg. I staged my death so I could be with him legitimately. As for asking me to play both roles, don't even bring it up again. As for Michael, I have already given him a child and a respectable marriage. I owe him nothing." Turning around, I saw Luke with reddened eyes, asking me softly, "Daddy, does that mean that Mommy no longer wants us?" I bent down and pulled him into my arms, forcing myself to soothe him. "Your Aunt Stella wants to protect the person that she loves. We shouldn't bother her. It's time for us to prepare a new life."

My life has been complicated since my parents died. And my uncle (my father’s stepbrother) wanted to get hold of me for several reasons, one of which is the title of royalty which I currently hold and another is my wealth. He will do everything in his power to dispose of me but I won’t allow it. I need to claim back what is rightfully mine. I came to Vale in hopes that I would be able to settle for a while and be able to grasp my identity as a Lycan. This land has known to be the old Laon where most creatures like me lived. At the same time to be reunited with my best friend, Halea, the only person I can trust my life with. And the unexpected happened, I didn’t want to find him but he was there, my mate. I have no time for another complicated matter but I just can't fight the pull of the mate bond, and the worst part is he doesn’t recognize me as his mate. I should be relieved that he doesn’t bother me but it kills me to see him wanting someone else. He is mine! I will travel the realms of the dead just to prove that I am who he seeks, I am Alina Jerah, the bearer of the moonlight!

Julian’s life is already a nightmare. He was just brutally dumped by his wealthy, arrogant boyfriend, Chase Sterling. To make matters worse, Julian’s twin sister runs away on the morning of her arranged marriage to Chase’s terrifying, billionaire father—the ruthless patriarch of the city's top law firm, Victor Sterling. Knowing Victor will destroy their family if the bride doesn't show up, Julian makes a desperate, suicidal decision. With his slender build and identical face, Julian puts on the wedding dress, the heavy veil, and walks down the aisle to marry his ex-boyfriend's father. Julian thinks he just has to survive the wedding night and find a way to annul the marriage later. But he severely underestimates the man he just married. When the bedroom door locks, Victor doesn't even bother lifting the veil. Instead, he unbuckles his belt and whispers, "Did you really think a piece of lace could hide you from me, Julian?" Victor knew it was Julian the entire time. In fact, Victor secretly orchestrated the sister's disappearance just to force Julian into his bed. Now, Julian is trapped in a strict, BDSM-laced contract marriage where his terrifying new husband will train him to be a lethal lawyer by day, and a perfectly disciplined boy by night.

My wife's gym is celebrating its grand opening, and I drag my buddy along to check the place out with a 9.90-dollar trial class I bought through an e-commerce platform. For the entire time, I never once let it slip that I'm the owner. Right after we finish training, a male coach tosses a price sheet at us. His eyes sweep over us with contempt as he says, "You two look like freeloaders. Our private sessions cost a few hundred each, and we don't offer freebies to people like you." I let out a disbelieving laugh. "We paid for this trial class. How is that freeloading? Go get your manager." He rolls his eyes and makes it seem like he's enforcing a very important rule. "Don't bother looking for the manager. My girlfriend owns this place, and she hates broke losers who try to get free classes." He dials her number right in front of us. His voice sounds both arrogant and pitiful. "Babe, two guys showed up and tried to con us into giving them a free class. They even told me to call the manager. Come over here and show them what's what!"

I grew up with the Vipera brothers. They have always considered me their younger sister and spoiled me silly. But after that car accident, my relationship with them changes completely. The accident leaves me with severe burns on my body, and I'm in constant agony. On top of that, my face is disfigured too. The moment I'm wheeled out of the ICU, I call the Vipera brothers to let them know that I'm safe. However, the only response I get from them is an impatient dismissal. "Sofia, Bianca hurt her fingers during the accident. We're taking care of her now. Don't bother us by throwing a tantrum." Soon, Bianca Rossi uploads a selfie of herself with the Vipera brothers in a luxurious hospital room. She's wearing three wolf fang bracelets on her wrist. I'd given those to the Vipera brothers as a Christmas gift last year. To get the fangs from the particular species of wolves they liked, I trekked through the jungle alone with a gun and battled feral wolves the entire night. I completely let go of any remaining feelings toward the famiglia that raised me and decide to leave them for good. When the Vipera brothers see me again at a grand banquet held by the Ferro famiglia, they are overwhelmed with regret.

"Mark my word, Adeline. You can't escape! You will be forever Mrs. Romanov until you die!" My mouth parted in half as I kept an eye on Lucas leaving the room. His long declarations made my sanity more perplexed. He didn't even bother to look back to catch a glimpse of my reaction. Who does he think he is? Can't he see that I don't remember anything? I am not lying! **** After being in coma for months. The first thing that Adeline Parker-Romanov woke up to isn't the warmth of her husband's love but his wrath and accussation of cheating and without a single trace of memory in the past. She is left with no choice but to figure out the life that she must live as the mayor's wife while she tries her best to tame and fix her marriage with Lucas Romanov for the sake of their only son, Luke. In the middle of fitting the pieces of her puzzle-like life. Adeline realized something shocking. Lucas' men saved the wrong woman from the tragic car accident as she is not the ruthless mayor's real wife but an impostor whose fate change within a snap. What will she do once she remembers everything? Will she choose to abandon them, or will she stand up for being the real Mrs. Romanov?

My son has an aortic dissection and needs surgery. My husband is a cardiac expert, but I don't bother calling him. Instead, I take a cab straight to the hospital. In my past life, upon begging my husband, he came home with the ambulance to pick our son up. He also arranged for our son to be admitted. But because he forgot to bring his phone, his childhood sweetheart died of a heart attack when she couldn't reach him. He went missing for three months and suddenly returned one day, looking perfectly normal. He even volunteered to prepare the meal on our son's birthday. It turned out he only wanted to poison the food. He strangled me and cut my neck open. "You forced me to come home to pick our son up. Ciara wouldnt' have died if I'd answered her call that day. You and your son are murderers—you have to pay with your lives!" When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day my son has an aortic dissection. This time, my husband manages to answer his childhood sweetheart's phone. But why is he on his knees before me and begging for forgiveness?

The day CARL BRADFORD offered me the contract: "These are the laid-down rules; Rule Number One: You are not allowed to fall in love with me. Rule Number Two: You are not allowed to kiss or hug me, except if I want to, just to convince my father, which I wish will never happen." He didn't bother to hide the disgust on his face when he made the last statement. "Rule Number Three: No one is allowed to know about this contract, not even my brother. This is strictly between I, you, and my P.A. Is that clear?" I nodded nervously, wondering if it was the right decision as I clutched my stomach. This guy was unbelievable, and so full of himself, like he rules the world, and could destroy it with the snap of his finger. "You will get paid monthly as long as we don't get caught, for a year. If you want to ever opt out from this, get ready to pay me back." He said firmly. How on earth am I going to survive with this menace for 365 days? I inhaled deeply, and forced a smile at him. "I should get back to my boss, Daniel". His face twisted into a frown when I mentioned his brother's name. No one needed to tell me, that they were sworn enemies who will forever hate each other until one step downs, or preferable, dies.