Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards For Short Story

In my parents' hearts, there was always a "perfect son" who died too soon. I was just his flawed substitute, while my younger brother was their new hope. They pretended to be poor for 20 years, secretly funneling all their resources to him. While I was in the final stages of stomach cancer, writhing in pain, they were spending millions of dollars to build him a state-of-the-art study room. When the doctor told me to notify my family about hospital bills, I felt helpless, thinking they were just ordinary, broke workers. When my mom finally showed up at the hospital, she grabbed my hand, not out of concern. "Neville is under so much stress with his college entrance exams. Can you not die right now? He can't take it." My dad stood by, wearing a stern expression. "David was way more sensible than you."

[This year I will make friends, this year I will find a boyfriend, and by the end of this year, I hope to be a virgin no longer] Bullied without friends her entire life, Alice Grey hopes her college time will be different. She wishes to start over and make friends. But her hope shatters when it appears Nathan Douglas, her bully for six years, will attend the same college. Nathan Douglas is a promising future NHL player. His fans expect him to be picked up fast, but Nathan isn't sure if a hockey player career is what he wants. He is a complete player on campus and finds pleasure in teasing Alice Grey for being a virgin. Her embarrassment is his delight. But Nathan soon runs into a slight problem—every night, Nathan experiences super realistic dreams where Alice is his future wife. Due to his dreams, Nathan begins to see Alice in a different light, but is there a happy ending when you catch feelings for the person who fears you more than death?

Daphne’s life was ruined by them; her best friend and boyfriend. Awaiting her boyfriend’s arrival back from the states, they agreed to meet at a bar below the most expensive hotel. Her drink was spiked by her best friend and she entered the wrong room by mistake where she had a nightstand with a stranger. The next morning, she realized what and ran after doing embarrassing things to him. She called him inexperienced, shoved a necklace to his face and even hit him with her heels. She arrived home to find out she was set up by her best friend and her boyfriend who had been having an affair right before he traveled out of the country. Daphne worked extra time to sponsor her boyfriend's career and now he’s come to dump her with the excuse of infidelity. She felt betrayed and heartbroken. One day, she fainted and found out she was pregnant with four babies. Her nightstand resulted in pregnancy with Quadruplet but she’s got no idea who the father of her babies is. Black William a top billionaire in the entire state, having women by his side or sleeping with them was never his desire. He detests them with passion. That same night when his guard was down due to a trick played on him with his drinks, a woman took advantage of his situation. The next morning, he orders a search for the enemy who took away his seed. He has just one thing on her; a pearl necklace!

"Marry me and give me an heirs, but not with love! I'll give you 500,000 dollars as compensation or more." Allan Watson Evelyn Adam is a beautiful 19-20 year old girl who has always had misfortune. Her parents had just passed away in a plane crash. Evicted by his evil uncle from their home and seized his entire inheritance. Living on the streets without a penny in his hand. Worst of all, finds out that his only sister has cancer and needs a lot of money. She needs one hundred thousand dollars to pay for her sister's illness in two days! A desperate Evelyn Adams is forced to accept a one-year contract marriage proposal and produce Heirs for a handsome 28-year-old Billionaire named Allan Watson. The sole heir to the Watson empire that controls businesses across most of Wellington County. Will Evelyn be able to accept? Is Evelyn ready to be the wife of a Billionaire and give him an heir? Without love between them? Can they fall in love with each other? What happens when the Billionaire's ex-fiancée comes back into their lives?

Babes is a strip club where the dancers danced, there are strict rules for the dancer not to offer themselves to their clients. Prostitution is a big no at the club. Though rules are meant to be broken, especially when the dancers are desperate enough to get extra cash. Babes cater to a high-end clientele of well-dressed men with various backgrounds, from rich sleazy playboys, and bad boys CEO executives, to cheating husbands with cash to spend for a private lap dance. The dancers at Babes are beautiful sexy women with different backgrounds from struggling actresses, and single moms with bills to cover, to students having to pay for their student loans, there are also women who just like to dance and be appreciated by men. But at Babes, people fall in love, strangely they found their match in the high-end strip club where they least expected. Follow this story and read how the dancers struggle for love and how the men find their future happiness.

Breanna Wilson is a club stripper at night and a psychology student by day, joggling both lives to get a good education and pay her bills. Maxwell Caines, an ex national boxing champion turned psychology professor, is the youngest and hottest Professor in the entire university. A huge ladies man. Appears with a constant frown and talks like he owns everybody. She thinks he's a sad, angry, meddlesome man. He thinks she's a rude and arrogant girl that makes terrible life decisions and needs therapy. Both lives entwine when Maxwell catches her, one of his most promising students working at a strip club. He helps her get a job after witnessing the brutal death of her brother and a romantic relationship brews between a student and professor. Will their relationship stand the test of time when she gets kidnapped by familiar people and his job is threatened?.

The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 Anna Riker: I have no patience for the military Security unit. I have a giant chip on my shoulder and it didn't help when one soldier almost gets himself killed and I have to save him. There's something about this soldier that gets under my skin. I don't want to find out, but the closer I get, the more I can't help myself. River Blake: I'm next in line to take over my pack. I joined the security unit over a year ago to appease my father. When he says I need my fated mate to get my title, yeah I'm angry. Until I see a woman, dressed in leather. She says our future together could never be, but I'll do everything i can to prove to her that she's for me and I'm for her. Michael Dorian: I know Im being used. I didn't mind at first, but now things have changed. When she meets some soldier, a rage boils in my gut. Like a powder keg ready to explode. I have to prove to Anna she's for me and only me. And I will. Even if I have commit treason and murder to do it.

Adina Daugherty became pregnant after being framed and gave birth to quadruplets. Her younger sister stole two of those children to tie herself to the Winters family, while Adina faced death to escape with the other two children. Five years later, Adina returned triumphantly. Since her sister loved pretending to be pure despite her rotten heart, she would torment her. As for her other two children? She would snatch them back! Duke Winters pinned her against the bed and said, “Why don’t you steal me as well?”Adina sneered. “Dream on!”But right after saying it, she puked. “So… how many children this time?” Duke asked.

At an investor banquet, my fiancé Tanner Clarkson’s secretary, Willow Thorne, recklessly throws a glass of wine at an investor and hurls insults without thinking. In retaliation, the investor demands that Willow make it up to him with her body, or he'll pull his funding. To ensure the company's successful IPO, Tanner hands me a glass of spiked wine. Then, he pushes me to the investor, expecting me to extinguish his flames of rage. His eyes are filled with feigned hesitation as he says, "Willow isn't like you. She just graduated—she's pure and innocent. Stop fighting it, Kathy. I'll make it up to you once the company goes public." When I regain consciousness, I stare at the man across from me, my voice hoarse. "About that deal you mentioned... I'll sign it."

Mia—codename Zero—is the deadliest assassin alive. She never asks questions. Never fails a job. Until a brutal accident steals her memory. Waking up in a powerful Alpha’s care, she has no idea who she is or why she was carrying his photograph. Alex Moore, CEO of Raften Pharmaceuticals and leader of the Darkhaven Pack, knows better than to trust a mysterious woman with a past she can’t remember. But something about her calls to him in ways he can’t explain. As passion ignites and their worlds intertwine, the truth looms in the shadows. Because Mia wasn’t just an assassin. She was sent to kill him. And when she remembers, there will be only one question left—will she finish the job, or has fate already sealed her loyalty… and her heart?