Caring For Myself Is Not Self Indulgence

Pitong taon ang inaksaya sa kanyang buhay ni Gailyn Espinoza upang piliin lang na manatili sa tabi ng kanyang asawang si Leon Lombardi. Hindi dahil sa may anak sila kung hindi dahil naniniwala siyang hindi magtatagal ay makikita rin ng asawa ang halaga niya. Subalit taliwas at hindi iyon ang nangyari dahil biglang nahulog ang lalaki sa ibang babae na harap-harapang pinakita niya kay Gailyn.  Sa mismong araw ng kaarawan niya ay piniling umuwi ng Isla ni Gailyn upang makasama ang kanyang mag-ama na doon nakatira, ngunit sa halip na salubungin ng mainit na pagbati at yakap, isang malutong na sampal ng katotohanan ang natuklasan. Ito ang naging wake up call kay Gailyn para magising. Sawang-sawa na siya sa paulit-ulit na pagtitiis kaya sa araw na iyon ay naging buo ang desisyon ni Gailyn na palayain na ang kanyang asawa. She drafted divorce papers, signed away custody of their son, and walked away without a backward glance. Returning to her career, Gailyn chose to silently build a fortune for herself. Sa puntong ito ay sarili naman niya ang uunahing piliin bukod sa mga nagpapasakit sa kanya. Kung kailan handa na ang puso, katawan at kaluluwa ni Gailyn na makipaghiwalay saka naman noon bumaliktad ang ikot ng mundo. Tila nagising siya sa matagal na niyang pangarap dahil ang mag-ama niyang ayaw sa kanya noon ngayon ay humahabol na. “Divorce is not an option, Mrs. Lombardi. Kailanman ay hindi ako papayag sa gusto mong mangyari. Hindi kita hihiwalayan. Walang sinuman ang makakapalit sa papel mo bilang ina sa buhay ng ating anak.”

My breathing was still uneven when Robert’s phone lit up on the nightstand. One new message. "Robert, there’s thunder. I’m scared." —Sarah. The words cut through me like ice water. Robert. My mate. The Alpha of the Ashborn Pack. The man everyone praises as the perfect future king. And me? I’m his Luna. Supposedly the rightful queen at his side. But no matter the circumstance, no matter the weight of his responsibilities, the first person he thinks of is never me. It’s always her. At the banquet, when the elders forced him to make a choice—me, his Luna, or her—the room fell into a suffocating silence. I still remember the way my heart begged him to look at me, just once, just long enough to see what he was about to destroy. But his answer came sharp, quick, without hesitation. "Sarah." One word. One name. And with it, he tore my entire world apart. That was the moment I understood: not every betrayal needs to be shouted or confessed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the name a man chooses to speak. I loved him. I bled for him. But love means nothing if I’m nothing to him. So if destiny has already been written against me… then I’ll be the one to set it on fire.

He is the richest billionaire and business mogul in the whole of Italy. David Salvatore can do anything to get what he wants and that includes getting the woman he wants. When the woman he loves ran away with her parents 10 years ago without a trace, he searched the whole world for her using his power and influence but the more he searched the more difficult it was to find her, like an unknown force was preventing him from finding her. David was determined to find her, and he finally did after ten years. “Let me go David, I have a flight to catch” Hanan struggled away from his hold. David looked at her in anger " Do you really think that I will allow you to run away the way you did 10 years ago? Never!! Hanan shivered in fear and wasn't able to look at him. She became distressed and lost in her thoughts. David looked at her distressed face and immediately his anger disappeared and was replaced with something unreadable. Now that he found her, what is left is to find out why she ran away from him.

Amelia's leg tapped against the table as she asked, "What are your thoughts on love?" Her hands were clasped together on her lap, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Lucas met her gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. "Love is a waste of time," he replied. "It's a tool designed to weigh people down. Without it, we could achieve so much more." Amelia's eyes lit up with interest; he had just ticked almost all her boxes green. "I agree," she said, her smirk matching his. "Love is nothing but bullshit. We could save a lot of time by keeping our relationship minimal." With a proactive glint in her eye, she added, "What do you say? We should get married to fulfill our filial duties." _____________ Their marriage was a facade, a contract between two individuals who didn't believe in love but were forced to get married to fulfill their obligations. Everything was going as planned, until suddenly... "Have you eaten, dear?" "How is my baby?" "Is he doing well?" Lucas's words, once empty and mechanical, now held a tender tone. Amelia found him falling for her, and she seemed to be falling too. Why were they succumbing to the very thing they once scorned? Love, once a distant possibility, was now becoming an option. But would they choose it?

_"You can't hide from your past forever, Susan."_ That’s what my stepmother, Jessica, sneered at me six years ago before sending me off with nothing but a fake ticket to America and a shattered heart. I had always been the perfect daughter, but one scandalous photo ruined everything. Betrayed by my own family, abandoned by the man I loved, I was left with nothing but a broken heart and a daughter to protect. Now, I’m back, and I’m not the same naive girl they tried to destroy. I’ve fought my way to the top, and I’m ready to reclaim what’s mine. _"You’re the one with everything to lose, Jessica. Let’s see how you handle it."_ With my daughter by my side and secrets in my arsenal, I’m ready to face the family that betrayed me. But when Ryan, a man with his own dark past, steps into my life, things get even more complicated. He’s powerful, infuriatingly arrogant, and claims to be the father of my child. _"You think you can just walk back into my life and call the shots, Ryan? Think again."_ This isn’t just about revenge anymore. It’s about survival, about protecting my daughter. _"This time, I’m playing by my own rules."_ But with enemies closing in and the stakes higher than ever, I’ll need more than just determination to win. I’ll need to decide who I can trust—and whether my heart is ready to take the ultimate risk. _"Are you with me, or against me, Ryan?"_ This is my story, and it’s time to take back what was stolen from me. But in the world of power and betrayal, nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Due to the change in my work location, I'd already informed Paul Miller, my part-time helper, to look for a job elsewhere three months ago. Back then, Paul had agreed to do so immediately. But when I'm about to move out of my old home, he made an absurd request to me. "I've spent so many years working for you to the bone. According to this industry's rules, you have to take care of me for the rest of my life. But if you refuse to do that, you can pay me a pension of ten thousand dollars every month." I'm stunned, to say the least. Did I hire a part-time helper, or did I find myself a financial burden instead? I turn Paul down immediately, so he decides to take a step back. "If you don't want to pay me, then give me this house of yours. I can't just leave without anything, right? It'll just show how petty of an employer you are. If not, I'll humiliate you in the group chat!" Fury floods my senses immediately. Fine. Let's see who will get humiliated here!

FORBIDDEN!! He is not someone to mess with. But Izzy messed with him. She tried hard to keep away only to find herself getting involved with him deeper and deeper. When Izzy Brown, an innocent high school student, goes on vacation to her hometown, she discovers that a menacing gang is threatening her family because her father borrowed money from a dangerous Mafia leader. Despite being horrified and heartbroken, she maintained her resolve. She decides to act independently to support her father. Searching through all her means she decides to meet the powerful man behind everything and beg him to show mercy. But mercy is not something a man like Robert Erickson could have. He declined to meet her without a second thought. However, after a sudden twist of fate, they meet again. Looking at her alluring innocent self, he offered her a chance. "Be my pet and I will let your family live" Izzy was dumbfounded. A pet...! Will this man chain me up in his yard? What does pet mean to him? This was all that she could think of, but was that what he meant? Her miserable life takes a twisted turn when she learns about the Dangerous Mafia Don's little secret. A secret that no one knows. Will she be able to escape from him? Read the book to know more about an abnormal love story of an unpredictable couple.

On the day my boyfriend gets engaged, I'm locked in the bedroom even though I'm supposed to be with him. By the time I make it to the venue, I see him passionately kissing his first love. When I confront him, he scoffs. "Kirsty’s a wealthy heiress who can help with my career. Isn't being my girlfriend enough for you?" With my answer loud and clear, I turn and call home. "Mom, Dad—about that arranged marriage you mentioned... I'm in." The day he marries Kirsty Bainbridge is also the day I marry my alliance partner. And the moment he sees me in a wedding dress, he completely loses his composure.

For ten years, Autumn Lewis and Julian Carter were childhood sweethearts. After three years of marriage, all she got in return were injuries, neglect from her brothers, and betrayal from her husband. When Autumn found out she had stage-two stomach cancer, something in her finally let go. She picked herself up and rose from an unnoticed employee to a powerhouse in the tech world. As soon as the divorce cooling-off period ended, she tricked Julian into signing the papers and made a clean break. The next time they met, the ever-calculating Julian’s eyes turned red as he tore up the divorce certificate. “Autumn, I was wrong. We’re not getting divorced. If I could give you my stomach, I would—just please don’t leave me.” Her once-proud brothers now pleaded, “Autumn, forgive us. Your sister-in-law is filing for divorce. Could you spare us some money?” Just then, a man stepped out from behind her, lifted his shirt slightly, and sneered. “Autumn, why waste your time on these jerks? Look at me instead.” Indeed, affection that came too late was worth less than dirt. She didn’t care for it anymore.

He is a 24 year old heir to his father's company. She is a 28 year old lady, fired from her last job for burning the CEO with hot tea. A fiery one she is, not until she meets a man, who is just intent on breaking her.