Caring For Myself Is Not Self Indulgence

***EXCERPT*** "I could burn the world to ashes, and you would still be the only thing worth destroying," he whispered, his lips just close enough to feel my desperate, trembling breath, tears leaking down my eyes. "Your pain is beautiful, Tera," he whispered with a chilling smile. "It shows you're still trying to fight what you know you've already lost." *** Dr. Tera Williams thought her life couldn't sink any lower after signing the divorce papers her husband's mistress threw in her face. But when a twist of fate puts her in a prison cell, stripping her of her career and reputation, she realizes she hasn't even begun to fall. After spending three years in prison, she struggles to get her life back on track again by starting from her lowest. Despite all the hurdles she had to endure from her current boss, she finds love again with Ryan, a single father, who is madly in love with her. But just as she's about to marry him, her worst nightmare resurfaces: She finds out that she is still legally married to her obsessive ex-husband, Logan, who has been doing everything possible to win her back. How does she navigate her life when she is now trapped between two possessive men who are not willing to give her up for the other? Trigger Warning: This is a dark, intense romance with a few scenes of psychological manipulation, violence, and non-con. Recommended for mature readers.

After graduating from a socialite training course, my sister swears to marry into a wealthy family. To create encounters with Pierce Holden, the prince of the upper crust, she drives my car, wanting to tailgate him and run into his car. I slam the brakes and tell her the Holdens aren't fools. We can't afford to pay for Pierce's car, even if we were to give up everything we have. Later, Pierce throws a lavish wedding that stuns the country. My sister goes crazy with jealousy, saying that she would've been the bride if not for me stopping her back then. Out of resentment, she rams her car into me and kills me. When I open my eyes again, I find myself in the front passenger seat. My sister smirks confidently, her gaze fixed on the expensive car ahead of us. "I'm sure Pierce will be enchanted by me once he sees me. I won't need to drive a dump like this once I get together with him." This time, I don't stop her. She puts the pedal to the metal, making the car crash against the sports car worth a fortune.

When I turned eighteen, I completed my shift and finally gained my wolf. The Lycan King of the Northern Tribe—Karl Gilmore, my father's close friend—handed me photos of his sons and told me to choose a mate. Whomever I chose would become the next Lycan King. Without hesitation, I pointed to his eldest son, Sven Gilmore. Everyone was stunned because everyone knew, for years, I had always loved the third son, Erik Gilmore. I'd trailed after Erik like a shadow, declaring loudly to the whole world that I'd marry him someday, that I'd be his mate. In my previous life, I did marry Erik. And he did become the next Lycan King. But a year into our marriage, he betrayed me with my stepsister and got her pregnant. Furious, the old Lycan King forced her to abort the pup and exiled her to another pack. From that moment on, Erik despised me. He started bringing home a different mistress every night. I was furious, helpless, and eventually, I died in the dead of winter. I never expected that when I opened my eyes again, I'd be back at eighteen, standing at the very moment I was meant to choose my mate. This time, I won't choose Erik. This time, I'll step aside and let him have his love with my sister. But why did Erik break down in tears when I chose someone else, begging me to come back?

Serina was in a whirlwind marriage with the CEO of Liverteo foundation. She one-sidedly fell in love with him after, but secrets and lies made her miserable. She died on the day she saw him lying next to a woman, but with a twist of fate she was able to travel back to a year before she met her tragic accident. She decided to change her fate by divorcing him. Serina is determined to make sure that divorce is the only ending for them, but can she really stop her heart from falling again even after discovering his hidden admirable traits, which she failed to notice before?

Imprisoned by her half-sister, forced to sign the inheritance transfer papers, and before her death, she even learned that her mother had been harmed long ago. Sigourney Nichols departed this world in blood and resentment... Until she opened her eyes again-six months earlier when the tragedy had only just begun. Her mother was still alive, her husband was still by her side, and her half-sister was the same as ever, scheming to drive a wedge between them. She had thought she could easily change everything and take her revenge, but she was still a little late in being reborn-her husband already believed she had betrayed him! Fine... Coax the husband first, then take revenge!

Nothing can bring two people together like an adorable little pooch! Brady Rogers took the job as the new city planner for Holiday Hills expecting a town rich with Christmas spirit. What he finds is anything but. Due to budget cuts, many of the Christmas activities have been cancelled. When a cute little dog steals his scarf, he's led to a couple of people who want to help Holiday Hills regain the towns reputation for being the place to celebrate. Could it be that little dog has also led him to love? Noelle Snow loves her job running the animal shelter, but she needs more money to keep the no-kill shelter a float. When she meets Brady, thanks to a sweet pup named Pooch, she might just be able to save the shelter, help the town find their Christmas spirit, and fall in love. But when the town's mayor has different ideas about how the budget should be spent, Brady and Noelle's plans might just fall apart and tear a riff between them. Will Pooch be enough to bring them back together?

At nine months pregnant, I suffered an unexpected miscarriage. My husband, Graham Pearson, fought back his own grief as he comforted me. He would whisper to me every day, trying to soothe my shattered heart, "Whitney, we will have children again someday. Our little angel was here for a while, and next time, we'll make sure we hold onto them..." Under Graham's careful care, I slowly began to pull myself out of the numb fog I'd been trapped in. But then, a month later, I overheard him talking to one of his friends. "If Whitney finds out the baby didn't actually die and that you've let Cassidy raise him, don't you think she'll flip out? You've worked so hard to get where you are; you can't let this mess it all up." Graham casually flicked his cigarette, his voice almost detached as he waved a hand dismissively. "Cassidy can't have kids, but she loves children. If this baby brings her joy, it's a blessing for the child, too. "I might never get the chance to be with Cassidy, but letting her raise my son, in some way, feels like a kind of fulfillment..." The truth hit me like a frozen wave, paralyzing me in place. It turned out this whole ordeal had been part of Graham's plan from the start.

When I was young, I saved a fae—charming and extremely handsome. In return, he offered me one wish, and I, lost in romantic fantasies, asked for the strongest wolves to be obsessed with me. It sounded dreamy—until it wasn’t. Obsession, I learned, is a storm disguised as a dream. First up, my stepbrother—his obsession turned him into a tormentor. Life became unbearable, and I had to escape before a mating ceremony that felt more like a nightmare than a love story. But freedom was short-lived. The next wolf found me, nearly made me his dinner, and kidnapped me away to his kingdom, proclaiming I would be his Luna. He wasn’t as terrifying, but when he announced our wedding plans (against my will, obviously), his best friend appeared as competitor number three. “Great! Just what I needed,” I thought. This third wolf was sweet, gentle, and truly cared—but, alas, he wasn’t my type. Desperate, I tracked down the fae. “Please, undo my wish! I want out of this romantic disaster!” My heart raced; I really needed him to understand me. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, you’re on your own. But I can help you pick the best one out of them!” How do I fix this mess? Facing three intense wolves: “Marry me, I’ll kill anyone who bothers you!” the first declared fiercely. “No, marry me! I’ll make you the happiest ever,” the second pleaded. “I’ll destroy every kingdom you walk into. You’re mine!” the third growled, eyes blazed. “Seriously, what have I gotten myself into?” A long sigh escaped my lips. Caught between a curse and a hard place, I really just wanted peace and quiet…but which one do I choose?

Alecta Zeline diculik saat pulang menuju rumah sewanya yang berjarak 500 meter dari lokasi kejadian. Dia ditawari sebuah kontrak menjadi surrogate mother atas permintaan teman semasa SMA-nya, Freya Farista, seorang aktris terkenal. Alecta menganggap tawaran itu adalah sebuah kesempatan untuk balas dendam kepada Freya Farista yang telah membuat hidupnya jatuh dalam kemalangan. Alecta masih mengingat semua kejahatan yang pernah Freya lakukan padanya. "Semakin aku dekat dengannya lagi, bukankah itu semakin baik? Aku bisa membalaskan dendamku? Misalnya merebut suaminya?” Alecta tertawa. “Itu pasti menarik sekali!” . . . Dipublikasikan 27 Mei 2021 Cover: Canva [Mature Content] ©2021, Ilamy Harsa

Not Ordinary Love tells the story of two people who never expected to find love again. Si Alexie, iniwan at nasaktan, pilit na binubuo ang sarili habang hinaharap ang bagong simula. Si Emman, palatawa at palabiro sa harap ng iba, pero may tinatagong takot at totoong pagkatao na bihira niyang ipakita. Nang nagtagpo ang landas nila, hindi agad romance ang dumating kundi friendship, comfort, at mga simpleng sandaling unti-unting nagbukas ng puso nila. Sa gitna ng trabaho, pamilya, at mga taong hindi sang-ayon, natutunan nilang ipaglaban ang pagmamahal na hindi pangkaraniwan, pero totoo. Ito ang kuwento ng healing, second chances, at pag-ibig na hindi kailangan maging perfect para maging tama. Minsan, ang pinaka-hindi ordinaryong pag-ibig… ang siya palang pinakareal.