Call Me Ishmael Opening Line Novel

For ten years, Lily was the anchor. She worked three jobs, endured a repressive upbringing, and poured every cent into a future with Thomas, the man she believed was her soulmate. But when Thomas finally returns from abroad, the "happily ever after" Lily bought and paid for is revealed to be a meticulously crafted lie. The betrayal cuts deeper than infidelity; Lily discovers that her ex best friend has been a part of Thomas’s double life. As she uncovers dark truths about their history and the real reason Thomas was there for a decade, Lily realizes she was never a partner—she was a pawn. Stripped of her illusions and fueled by a cold, simmering rage, Lily realizes that to destroy people of their influence, she needs a power she doesn't yet possess. Enter Julian Vane, a mysterious and formidable figure with his own vendetta against the same circles that ruined Lily. Together, they strike a bargain: a marriage built on strategy rather than love. As Lily steps into a world of wealth, secrets, and shadows, she must decide how much of her soul she’s willing to lose to get even—and whether her new marriage is just another heartbreak waiting to happen.

After five years of marriage, my wife’s childhood friend posted a photo of a property deed in his social media circle with the caption, [Thank you, Miss CEO, for transferring the house to me.] I was stunned when I saw the address on the deed—it was my home. Confused, I left a comment. [?] Almost immediately, my wife, Alice, called and scolded me. "He’s a single dad, so pitiful! I only transferred the house to his name to make it easier for his daughter to attend school. It doesn’t affect us living there. How can you be so heartless and lack even a shred of compassion?" In the background, I could hear her childhood friend complaining bitterly. Half an hour later, he posted on social media again and tagged me. This time, he showed off a $150,000 sports car with the caption, [Paid in full! As the saying goes, where a woman spends her money is where her heart lies.] I knew it was my wife who bought him the car to make up for upsetting him. But this time, I’ve made up my mind—I’m filing for divorce.

After undergoing a gallbladder removal surgery, I get discharged while having to hunch over in pain. In fact, I have to go home while attached to a surgical drainage bag. Before I even reach the front door, I hear Rayne Randall, my sister who's ten years younger than me, wailing at the top of her lungs. "Dad, there's a splinter in my finger! It hurts so much!" "Let me blow your booboo away for you, Ray. It won't hurt anymore once I'm done." As soon as I open the front door, I see my dad rolling his eyes at me. His previously happy disposition quickly morphs into an annoyed one. "Why are you home this late? It's just a small surgery, isn't it? Look at how much of a wuss you're being! Ray wants to have fish for dinner, so you'd better take your ass to the market and buy a fresh one for her!" My surgical wound hurts so much that I keep trembling in pain. I can barely move an inch. Having noticed that I'm not moving at all, he chucks a slipper at me right away. "Just go! What's with that gloomy look of yours? It's all thanks to you that our luck is gone! Every time I see a jinx like you walking around, I feel even unluckier!" As far as I remember, my dad keeps calling me a jinx who has ruined his family. Now that I've had a close brush with death, I don't want to keep living in this world like a pathetic loser. In that case, I might as well let everyone in this family have a real dose of my misfortune.

On the eve of my wedding, my parents returned from abroad, and my fiancée, Seraphina Vale, went into the kitchen to host them, preparing her specialty—passion fruit tea—for everyone. My parents, Edward and Eleanor Blackwood, and I had barely taken our first sip when the bodyguard, Alaric Sterling, standing beside her, burst into laughter. “You really are a family,” he said. “All of you drinking toad eggs as if they were passion fruit, savoring every mouthful.” Nausea rose instantly, and my parents and I retched uncontrollably, after which I swung my fist and went straight for him. But Seraphina shoved me away. “You were the one who called Alaric a toad before,” she said. “I was just helping him get even.” Alaric looked at me smugly. “Aren’t your parents biologists?” he said. “You should be thanking me for the hands-on experiment.” I lifted the scalding soup and splashed it at Alaric. Seraphina screamed as she ordered the other bodyguards to break my hand. “You insulted Alaric first,” she said. “That’s why he retaliated. What right do you have to lay a hand on him? “If anything happens to Alaric, you won’t get away with it.” I watched Seraphina hurriedly escort Alaric away, her face tight with concern. I turned to my parents. “Can you ask her if she’s still willing to marry me?”

My cousin, Erin Johnson, is passionate about testing my boyfriends. Although I keep turning her offer down, she keeps insisting on doing so for me. Once she successfully seduces a boyfriend of mine, she'll dump him instantly. Then, she'll announce in our family's group chat that said boyfriend isn't a good match for me. When Erin does the same thing once again, she doesn't realize that she's stepping into a trap I've specifically set up for her. There's no way she won't step into it.

Amy's dreams were crushed when she walked in on her finacé, Tyler and her former friend getting it on in their apartment. To exact revenge on her, Amy makes a plan to seduce her former friend's father and become her stepmother. Will Amy's plan work, or will this romance tear her world apart?

Victoria Carson is 17 and in love with Bruce Wayne and Thera nothing that could make her happier. That is till a summer mistake threatens the he dreams and hopes for a brighter future. Could she ever be able to face Bruce? Or will she keep this a secret even if it's driving a wedge between her and her future? Bruce Wayne just couldn't be happier, finally coming home to his beautiful girlfriend, the love of his life. He is confused and hurt when she starts to ignore him, frustrated Bruce is set on finding the cause of her strange behavior. But is he ready for the truth? As it shakes the very foundation of their relationship, will they ever be able to get through this,or is their love doomed to fail?

One night. One mistake. One man who was never meant to touch her. Estella Duan thought she could walk away from Aizen Deveraux without consequences—until he became her CEO… and the architect of a game designed to break her. In a world of power, secrets, and corporate war, Estella is forced to fight alone when her name is dragged into a scandal that could destroy everything. But the deeper she falls, the more she realizes the truth: She was never chosen. She was placed. And the man she’s starting to crave is the same man who’s been using her from the very beginning. Now the line between desire and betrayal is gone— And crossing it might cost her everything.

“You've read the contract, I assume?” His tone was soft but firm. His eyes, however, were fixated on her lips. “Every word.” Aurora hesitated, fingers brushing against the folder's edge. Michael furrowed his brows, gauging her expression. “Are you sure you want this? You can say no, and we’ll simply pretend this never happened.” “No,” Aurora said firmly, gripping the edges of her skirt. Her entire body pulsed with need for him, so how could she disagree? “I want this.” She quickly signed the contract. His hands left her jaw, reaching down to pull her up and against his office table. His hands slowly reached under her skirt. “Well, then. Let us begin, shall we?” *** Aurora Lane thought the worst day of her life was catching her boyfriend trying to sneak off on a hotel trip with her best friend, using her money. She was wrong. Booking the suite solo, she never expected to find a stranger already there. Tall, brooding, and infuriatingly magnetic. Michael Carson, a billionaire hotel mogul who lives for control, should’ve thrown her out. Instead, one night of passion turned into something neither could forget. When fate brings them together again, their simmering chemistry becomes impossible to ignore. A secret “no-strings” contract should have kept their hearts safe, but the more they try to resist, the deeper they fall. Then the past returns to destroy everything. A jealous ex. A web of lies. A powerful family that will do anything to keep them apart. And when a shocking betrayal turns deadly, Aurora must decide whether love is worth risking everything for… even her life. In a world of money, manipulation, and impossible love, can two broken hearts rewrite their destiny, or will the secrets between them burn it all down?

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS SEXUAL SCENES. Antonius Altamirano had everything a man could wish for; wealth, vast properties, and a name in the business industry. But then the problem was, he has a very complicated relationship with women. Hindi niya kayang umiwas sa tukso. He’s a good man, but he can easily be tempted. He had to marry Selene Arnaiz, one of the wealthiest and most famous actresses of her generation. It was a marriage for convenience, for Niu it was to save face from all his investors, and for Selene, it was for her fame and career. But Niu had a secret, he has been in a long-time relationship with Dr. Leann Zubiri, the best surgeon in the country. Niu claimed to be in love with her. Leann was contented to being his mistress for she was really in love with him. She can take it, being not the legal wife, as long as Niu would spare time for her. Niu doesn’t want to add more complication to his relationship with Selene and Leann, but Kate Cadelina entered the picture and shook his world. Niu didn’t expect that he’ll be attracted head over heels with the sassy secretary of her sister-in-law. She’s like a breath of fresh air that gave relief from all the stress in his life. Niu was never been this confused his whole life. Being married to a woman he didn’t love and having a mistress was a huge trouble already. How can he handle this now that he wanted Kate to be part of his life? Who will he choose? The woman he married? Or the woman he claimed that he was in love with? Or Kate, his beautiful ray of sunshine that gives light to his chaotic world?