Buket Bunga 50 Ribu

As a low-income student who's specifically recruited by the elite college this year, I can still feel my hands trembling as I clutch the letter that tells me I get to study for free. Not only are my tuition and miscellaneous fees waived, but I also get to receive 30 thousand dollars' worth of student grant per year. I even get to have free access to the leather seats inside the library, the equipment inside the gym, as well as the aerial garden on the roof. The best surprise for me has to be the cafeteria. All low-income students get a 50% discount on their meals, but the quality of their food doesn't decrease at all. Best beef is used in the steak dinners offered by the cafeteria, whereas a seafood platter showcases the entire huge lobster. Even the most basic mac and cheese meal has different types of freshly grated cheese baked into it. As I sit in the brightly lit classroom and look at the rich students around me, who wear custom-made uniforms and have branded watches latched around their wrists, all I have is one thought. I must be on good terms with them. But my seatmate, who's also a low-income student, isn't as thrilled as me. In fact, she just looks at the people around her with disdain in her eyes. After the first lesson, a rich student arrives at our table. He might not sound polite at all, but at least he's not putting on airs. "Do any of you have time to head over to the cafeteria and buy me breakfast?" I'm about to respond to him when a shrill voice booms out next to me. "You're so annoying! What, you think you rule the campus since you're rich? Had I known that this classroom is filled with useless scions like you who just waste their lives away on nothing, I wouldn't have enrolled in this college in the first place!"

Limang taon na ang lumipas nang durugin ni Elly Panganiban ang puso ni Carl Montesantos at lisanin ang billionaire world nito. Ginawa niya ito upang protektahan si Carl, kapalit ng isang lihim: ang kanilang kambal na anak, sina Liam at Lia—ang lihim na bunga ng pag-ibig na kailangan niyang itanggi. Ngayon, napilitan si Elly na magtrabaho sa Montesantos Holdings, ang imperyo ng kanyang Billionaire Ex na si Carl. Ang pag-ibig ay napalitan ng matinding pagkamuhi at paghihiganti. Araw-araw, sinisiguro ni Carl na maramdaman ni Elly ang pait ng pag-iwan, tinatawag siyang "walang-kwenta" at "basura" sa trabaho. Mas lumala ang sitwasyon sa presensya ni Sharon Montemayor, ang fiancée ni Carl, at ni Theo Ramos, na nagpaalab ng selos sa Bilyonaryo. Sa gitna ng tensyon, nagbigay ng walang-awang kasinungalingan si Elly: "patay na" ang ama ng kambal. Ngunit ang lahat ng galit at paghihiganti ni Carl ay guguho sa isang iglap! Sa Lobby ng kumpanya, nakita ni Carl ang kanyang anak na si Liam. Ang bata, na eksaktong kopya niya at may matatalim na asul na mata, ay sumigaw ng katotohanan: Siya ang ama! Hindi siya namatay! Dinoble ang kanyang pamilya! Ang mga mata ni Carl ay biglang nagbago, mula sa poot tungo sa pag-angkin at walang-sawang possessiveness! Simula na ng giyera! Paano itatago ni Elly ang lihim kung ang Bilyonaryong Ex, na ngayo'y nag-aapoy sa galit, ay handa nang angkinin ang kanyang dugo at lahi?!

[UPDATE SETIAP HARI, PUKUL 20.00 WIB] Di kerajaan Elyria yang memadukan teknologi canggih dan sihir kuno, Eiran Voss hidup dalam bayang-bayang masa lalu. Sebagai anggota elit Aliansi Aurora, ia menggunakan "Pedang Roh", senjata mistis yang terikat darah untuk melindungi kerajaan, meski hatinya beku oleh dendam terhadap kaum bangsawan yang mengkhianati dan membunuh ayahnya. Dunianya yang kelabu hanya terusik oleh Liora Faye, rekan setimnya yang mengendalikan sihir bunga; seorang gadis yang optimis, ceria, dan bertekad meruntuhkan tembok dingin Eiran. Kedamaian semu Elyria pecah ketika "Badai Roh" yang tidak wajar menghancurkan desa-desa pinggiran. Investigasi Aliansi mengungkap kebenaran mengerikan: bencana ini bukan fenomena alam, melainkan ulah Lord Zoltar, seorang bangsawan korup yang memanipulasi kristal gelap demi ambisi terlarang. Setelah konfrontasi sengit di Hutan Larang, Zoltar melarikan diri dengan rencana yang lebih jahat: membangkitkan "Jantung Bayangan", artefak kuno di Kota Bawah Tanah Elyria yang mampu memperkuat sihir gelap. Pengejaran ini memaksa Eiran menghadapi trauma terbesarnya, karena rahasia untuk menghentikan Zoltar terkubur di antara puing-puing masa lalunya sendiri. Kini, di tengah intrik politik istana yang memojokkan mereka dan ancaman kehancuran total, hubungan antara Eiran dan Liora diuji. Eiran harus memilih antara membiarkan dendam menguasainya atau membuka hati untuk mempercayai Liora dan timnya. Bersama Kairos, Sylva, Draven, dan Vesper, mereka berpacu dengan waktu untuk mencegah Zoltar menciptakan "tatanan baru" yang akan meruntuhkan Elyria.

Sienna Calder swore she’d never touch her father’s world—Dorian Ashford, shipping mogul and billionaire king, left her mom to rot while he built his empire. She’s there to curse his grave when he dies, not to claim a dime. But his will traps her, naming her co-heir to his $50 billion legacy alongside Roman Valtieri, the brooding, hard-edged protégé who’s clawed his way into Dorian’s shadow—and now into hers. They’re to run the empire together or lose it all, and Sienna hates him for it: too slick, too close, every look a spark she doesn’t want. Then a letter from Dorian’s cold hand ignites the fire—he was murdered, and Roman’s name’s scratched beside the truth. A silver key and a vial of blood—hers, his—drag her deeper, promising answers locked in Ashford estate.But the walls crash in fast: Ezra Locke, a scarred snake with a grin like a blade, wants that key, and he’ll drown the place to get it. Roman’s her lifeline—gun drawn, hands steady, pulling her from the flood—and she loathes how his touch burns, how his voice steadies her when the water’s at her throat. Caught between rage and a pull she can’t name, Sienna fights the heat growing with every near miss—Roman’s too damn solid, too damn close, and she’s torn between shoving him away and pulling him in. The empire’s crumbling, the cliff’s falling, and Ezra’s not the only shadow circling—something darker watches, waiting. Love’s a gamble when blood’s the stake, and Sienna’s playing with a deck her father rigged. Can she trust Roman’s hands to hold her up, or will the crown they’re fighting for crush them both in its ashes?

At the New Year's Eve dinner, my mom suddenly assigns some rules to me and my siblings. She claims that those who don't fit the criteria aren't allowed to eat at the table. Rule number one: One must have spent at least 50% of their time keeping Mom company at home last year. Rule number two: One must have gone shopping with Mom all the time. Rule number three: One must keep giving Mom allowance. But it appears that I, the oldest sibling, am the only one who doesn't meet the requirements. My little sister, Chelsea Cage, begins acting coquettish immediately. "All Cassidy cares about is her business, unlike me, Mom! I care about you!" Meanwhile, my younger brother, Cameron Cage, lectures me with a frown, "What's the point of you being able to earn more money than average people? No matter how good a breadwinner you are, the fact that you don't care about Mom completely nullifies it!" My mom tells my siblings to sit around her happily. Then, she criticizes me in a sarcastic tone. "As parents, when we become old, what we need is our children's company, not cold hard cash." I'm pissed off, to say the least. I'm the breadwinner of this family, and yet these freeloaders get to put on airs in front of me. The reason why I don't go shopping with my mom is that she's never satisfied with whatever gifts I've picked out for her during the times I did go out with her. That's why I gave her money straight away. I didn't give my mom any allowance at all because all the money is regularly deposited into the supplementary card, which she has. Since my long-term efforts are worth nothing compared to my siblings' sweet talk, I suppose I can quit being the ATM of this family.

Conrad Lexus Farris. All he wanted is to skip his toxic life away from the city for a while. Dawn Zelena Augustino. All she wanted is to finish her studies and find a great job to achieve her dreams in life. But when their paths crossed, kapwa nagulo ang payapa nilang buhay. Hindi man maganda ang una nilang pagtatagpo, naging daan naman iyon upang makilala nila ang isa't-isa. But the summer that made their heart extremely happy, was also the summer that made their heart empty. Akala ni Dawn, kaya niyang ibaon sa limot ang lahat. Ngunit paano niya magagawa iyon gayung sa init na kanilang pinagsaluhan, may nabuong sanggol na mag-uugnay sa kanila ng lalaking bigla na lamang siyang iniwan sa ere at naglaho na parang bula? At sa di inaasahang pagkakataon, muling nagtagpo ang kanilang landas. Yun nga lang, hindi siya nito kilala. Malamig at arogante ito makitungo sa kanya na parang hindi na ito ang lalaking nakilala at minahal niya limang taon na ang nakararaan. Ayaw niya na sanang ipaalala ang masaya at mapusok na pinagsaluhan nila noon. Ayaw niya sanang umeksena sa buhay nito lalo pa't nalalapit na itong ikasal sa ibang babae. Kaso nang makita ni Conrad ang anak niya, di maipagkakaila na parang pinagbiyak na bunga ang dalawa. At ang masaklap pa nito, ang bata mismo ang umamin sa lalaki. "You're my dad right? Mama has many photos of you together and told me a lot of stories about you!" Connor screamed in excitement. Napaawang si Conrad at di makapaniwala sa natuklasan! At nang magtama ang mata nila ng lalaki, alam ni Zele na ito na ang magiging simula ng kalbaryo niya.

Warning: Contains steamy scenes and emotional rollercoaster rides. Isang gabi. Isang pagkakamali. Isang lihim na hindi habambuhay na maitatago. Limang taon na ang nakararaan, nagpadala si Mia sa init ng isang gabi sa piling ng estrangherong si Gabriel Altamirano. Kinaumagahan, tumakas siya dala ang isang sikreto: ang bunga ng kanilang pagnanasa. Sa loob ng limang taon, namuhay si Mia nang tahimik bilang isang single mother sa anak nilang si Gabby. Sinikap niyang burahin si Gabriel sa kanyang alaala. Ngunit sadyang mapaglaro ang tadhana. Sa isang hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, muling nagkrus ang landas nila. At nang makita ng ruthless billionaire ang batang kamukhang-kamukha nito, sumabog ang galit at pagdududa. Hinarap ni Gabriel si Mia dala ang isang malamig na ultimatum: "Be my wife on paper, or you will never see our son again." Walang pagpipilian, pinasok ni Mia ang isang contract marriage. Mula sa simpleng buhay, natagpuan niya ang sarili sa marangyang penthouse ng bilyonaryo, nakakulong sa piling ng lalaking galit sa kanya pero tila obsessed sa bawat galaw niya. Sa likod ng saradong pinto ng Master's Bedroom, ang kanilang kasunduan ay magiging laro ng apoy. Ang galit ay magiging pagnanasa. Ang sumbat ay mapapalitan ng mainit na mga halik. Pero paano kung bumalik ang nakaraan para sirain sila? At paano kung marealize ni Gabriel na hindi lang ang anak ang gusto niyang angkinin... kundi pati na ang puso ng inang pilit siyang tinatakbuhan? "You ran away with my heir, Mia. Now, you will pay for those five years... in my bed."

In my previous life, my three sons told me they wanted to set up a Family Bond Fund for me. Each of them would deposit three thousand dollars every month. I cried with gratitude, truly believing that decades of sacrifice had finally paid off. One of them even said, "Mom, you've given us so much. It's our turn to take care of you now." However, eight years later, I was told I have uremia. That was when I discover that the bank card, which supposedly held the fund, couldn't even cover the dialysis deposit. Soon after, my eldest son video-called me. He said he wanted to buy a better apartment in a good school district. He was short of 150 thousand dollars for the down payment and asked if I could lend it to him first. My second son came to the hospital with his wife and daughter. He didn't ask about my condition at all. Instead, he kept showing off his daughter's piano competition trophy, hinting that he needed 50 thousand dollars to enroll her in a prestigious international piano program. My youngest son was even more straightforward. He said he had his eye on a limited-edition pair of sneakers and wanted me to pay 30 thousand dollars for them as a birthday gift. The moment they realized the bank account didn't have enough money, their faces fell. "We each put in three thousand dollars every month. Over eight years, that's at least eight hundred thousand dollars. Mom, are you hiding the money from us?" To force me to reveal my savings, they took turns pressuring me, switching between sweet talk and threats. They even told relatives that I had dementia and had been scammed out of my money. Unable to take it anymore, I yanked out my IV late one night and walked out of the hospital, only to be hit by a car, dying instantly. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the day of my hospital checkup.

Mga bata pa lamang sila ay mahal na ni Ann ang CEO ng Luxury Hotel and Resort na si Collin, kaya nang ligawan siya nito at yayaing magpakasal agad ay hindi siya nagdalawang-isip at pumayag agad. Akala niya ay magiging masaya ang buhay niya dahil sa lalaking mahal niya siya nagpakasal ngunit nagkamali siya. Dahil kinasangkapan lang pala siya ni Collin para paghigantihan ang daddy nito na siyang pangalawang asawa ng mommy niya. Dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal niya sa asawa ay tiniis niya ang mga pasakit na ginagawa nito sa kanya. Ngunit hanggang saan ang gagawin niyang pagpapaka-martir dahil sa pag-ibig? Kung sobrang durog na durog na ang kanyang puso? Kung pati sa kanyang sarili ay tuluyan na siyang mawalan ng respeto at hindi na niya kaya pang bumangon pa? Bago pa mangyari iyon ay lumayo na siya habang dala sa sinapupunan niya ang bunga ng pagmamahal niya sa asawa. Pagkalipas ng limang taon ay muling nag-krus ang mga landas nila. Lahat gagawin ni Collin makuha lamang sa kanya ang anak nila. Ngunit hindi siya papayag sa plano nito dahil may sarili siyang plano. At ang planong iyon ay uumpisahan niya sa pamamagitan ng kanyang anak. Subaybayan ang kuwento ng isang babaeng sobrang nagmahal kaya sobrang nasaktan. Kung paano niya binuo ang pira-pirasong puso at kung paano niya pinalambot ang tila bakal na puso ng kanyang dating asawa sa pamamagitan ng kanilang nag-iisang anak na siyang muling magbubuklod sa kanilang dalawa.

Sa loob ng limang taon, nanatiling anino si Evorie Smith sa sarili niyang buhay may asawa. Akala niya, ang pagsailalim sa IVF ang magiging susi para mahalin siya ng asawang si Rafael Dadan, ngunit ang DNA result ay nagsiwalat ng malupit na katotohanan, ang batang si Ginger na apat na taon niyang inalagaan at minahal ay hindi niya tunay na anak. Ginamit lamang siya nina Rafael at ng kapatid sa labas na si Violet bilang surrogate para sa bunga ng kanilang kataksilan. Habang nagpapakasasa ang dalawa sa kanilang bawal na pag-ibig, nagpasya si Evorie na tapusin ang pagiging martir. Sa gabi ng kanilang fifth wedding anniversary, na mas pinili ni Rafael na gugulin kasama si Violet, nilayasan ni Evorie ang mansiyon, bitbit ang poot. Hindi lang diborsyo ang kanyang pakay, kundi plano niyang sunugin ang mundo ng mga taong umabuso sa kanya. Sinimulan niya ang paghihiganti sa pamamagitan ng pagsabotahe sa kasal ni Violet at ng bilyonaryong CEO na si Alistair Vanderbilt. Matapos ibunyag ang isang malaswang video ng dalawang taksil, hinarap ni Evorie ang bulag at malupit na groom. Naglatag siya ng mapangahas na deal, isang kasal kapalit ng pagkakaroon ng tagapagmana para sa lola ni Alistair. Pumayag agad si Alistair, ngunit may kondisyon. "Have sex with me, now. Show me if you can handle a monster like me." Wala nang atrasan. Gagawin ni Evorie ang lahat para mapabagsak sina Rafael at Violet, kahit pa ibigay ang kanyang katawan at kaluluwa sa lalaking kinaiinisan at kinatatakutan ng lahat.