Chin Up Aesthetics

Aku duduk sendirian di meja makan, tepat di hari ulang tahun pernikahan kami yang ke-7. Ponselku tiba-tiba berdering. Di layar kunci telepon, ada dua notifikasi pesan masuk yang masih belum terbaca. Pesan pertama datang dari Riki, dia bilang kalau dia harus lembur di kantor malam ini. Sementara pesan yang satu lagi datang dari nomor tidak dikenal. [Pak Riki sungguh luar biasa. Kakak sanggup mengatasinya?] Ada satu foto yang ikut dikirimkan dalam pesan tersebut. Foto itu menampilkan sepasang pria dan wanita yang sedang bercumbu mesra. Aku pun meniup lilin kue ulang tahun pernikahan kami sambil menutup mata dengan penuh kelelahan. [Ayo kita cerai.] Aku mengirimkan pesan balasan ke Riki.

Menjelang akhir tahun, kalangan sosialita di Kota Wastu mengatakan lebih baik memujaku daripada memuja dewa kekayaan. Karena setelah rujuk dengan mantan suamiku, aku menjadi istri paling materialistis di Kota Wastu. Aku tidak peduli lagi betapa Aswin mencintai wanita itu. Bahkan saat putraku memanggil wanita itu "Ibu", aku juga tidak ambil pusing. Namun, hanya ada satu aturan baru di rumah. Setiap menyebut nama Rosa, harus bayar denda 200 juta padaku. Dengan cara ini, kurang dari dua minggu, aku berhasil mengumpulkan uang 60 miliar. Pada hari perayaan ulang tahun pernikahan kami, Aswin dan putraku menyebut nama Rosa lagi. Wajah mereka berdua menegang, sedangkan aku hanya mengulurkan tangan dengan santai. "Denda 200 juta, transfer ke rekeningku." Putraku akhirnya tidak bisa menahan emosinya lagi, lalu menatapku dengan muak. "Ibu benar-benar matre, ya. Nggak ada hal lain yang ibu pikirkan selain uang? Hal sepele begini saja, kami harus bayar denda, Ibu memang kalah jauh dari Bibi Rosa." Aku tidak membantah, hanya mengulurkan tangan ke arah putraku. "Denda 200 juta, karena kamu yang sebut duluan, kamu juga kena denda."

Anaya Grace Santillan was a woman deprived of a complete family. Her mother died when she was twelve years old, and her father quickly remarried. She learned early to work hard to survive and finance her college education. She thought her suffering at the hands of her stepmother and father would end after graduation, but she was wrong. After finishing her studies, her father forced her into a marriage with a man she didn't love to settle his and her stepmother's debts. But what if, on her wedding day, she chose instead the man who arrived last at the hotel and pulled him before the altar? Before the man could speak, she demanded he sign the marriage contract so she could escape her torment. Aurelius Kael Quinn Gutierrez, the only child of the Gutierrez family—Asia's wealthiest and most prominent business magnates—owns various companies and will inherit his parents' empire. He never expected to be powerless against the woman who insisted on marrying him, despite her family problems. Nevertheless, he's prepared to be her bodyguard, sugar daddy, and even stalker to ensure her safety. But what if, due to a misunderstanding, she hides their child from him? "Will love and effort be enough when the heart dictates the person you choose?" author by Jelly-Gel

Gale, a weak college student, accidentally awakened the powers hidden within him. As someone who experience injustice in his life, he tried to play a hero in an attempt to instill justice using his new found powers. However, when he realized that the world isn't as simple as he think it is, it was already too late as he already crossed the line that he shouldn't have. With the emergence of the powerful enemies who hunted him, he was forced to join a mysterious group in order to cultivate his powers. Upon reaching several ranks in his cultivation, he slowly learned the secrets of his parents as well as the clue of the mysterious entity who are responsible of their deaths. He also felt that this mysterious entity was actually controlling everything behind the scenes to achieve their ultimate goal, which is to awaken the SUPREME NATURE and rule over the world and the entire universe.

Keira buried her face in his chest, her voice trembling. “Maybe I’m not good enough for you.” He ran his fingers through her hair, then whispered. “You’re perfect for me. One walking disaster in this relationship is enough.” She sniffled, a small laugh breaking through. “Are you comforting me or mocking me?” He tilted her chin up, his lips hovering just above hers. “Both,” he whispered. And then he kissed her. ****** Keira Small has spent her life in the shadow of her family’s legacy as the daughter of the prestigious owner of Small Solutions Tech. But instead of following in her father’s footsteps, she chooses to keep her identity a secret and work elsewhere—all to be closer to the one man she’s never forgotten. When she’s sent to deliver documents to her enigmatic boss, the CEO of Dawnborne Inc., she doesn’t expect to find him intoxicated—or to end up in the bed of the one man she had never expected to have: her childhood crush. But one night of passion isn’t so easily forgotten, as an investigation was held by the CEO to find who the woman he slept with was. Buried feelings begin to resurface and secrets threaten to unravel, Keira must decide: will she continue to hide who she really is, or risk everything for the man she’s always wanted?

“Adrian, why would you lie to me? Why would you let her push my mum like that?” Yvonne’s voice trembled, holding back tears. Adrian smirked. “Wake up, Yvonne. You really thought I wanted you when Tricia was right here?” That was how Adrian—her first crush, the boy she thought cared—chose to humiliate her in front of everyone as she was the cleaner’s adopted daughter. But fate had other plans. Because the Diamond Belfort brothers—the heirs everyone adored were coming to their school in search of their missing heiress- baby sister. But the queen bee steals the chance that should have been hers. Then again, secrets don’t stay buried forever. With her true identity waiting to explode, Yvonne must decide to rise from the ashes, claim her place, and bring down everyone who tried to destroy her. Because the real heiress doesn’t beg. She takes rather. Now, Yvonne is done playing small. It’s her time to rise, reclaim her crown, and make everyone regret ever doubting her.

Liam Smith, an orphan, has had a dream for years; to become a star of the ever famous Lotus Pond Entertainment company. However, when he meets the famous and attractive CEO of the company, notorious playboy, Kain Jones, things take an unexpected turn. Kain is unfriendly, rude and even rejects Liam’s wishes of joining the company! Kain is not at all what Liam had expected his childhood star to be like at all! Disappointed, but not put off, Liam refuses to give up on his dreams of becoming a star and vows to do anything to get that chance, including doing whatever Kain demands of him, but just how far is Liam willing to go? "Your fervent, misguided sense of entitlement is stunning," Kain snarls at me. His nose twitches in indignation before a slow, cruel smirk crawls over his lips. He mouths the word 'anything', repeating what I had just said before leaning in and taking my chin into his fingers, brushing my lips with his thumb as he says in a low growl, "why don't you show me...”

Di malam valentine, aku bertemu dengan sahabat kecil tunanganku di depan sebuah bar. Dia tampak seperti habis diracuni, tak sadarkan diri. Kali ini, aku pura-pura tidak melihatnya dan langsung berbalik pergi. Di kehidupan sebelumnya, aku sama sekali tidak mengenalnya. Karena niat baik, aku menolongnya. Tapi, malah tanpa sengaja melihat ada tato nama tunanganku di tulang selangkanya. Awalnya, aku kira itu hanya salah paham. Tapi sesaat kemudian, saat aku membantu mengangkat teleponnya, aku mendengar suara tunanganku dari ponselnya. Karena marah dan cemburu, aku pun memutuskan sambungan telepon itu dan mengabaikan 99 panggilan tak terjawab darinya. Aku baru pergi setelah memastikan dia sudah baik-baik saja di hotel milik keluargaku. Siapa sangka, dia malah menjadi korban pelecehan malam itu. Karena merasa memalukan, dia memilih mengakhiri hidupnya. Setelah kebenaran terungkap, tunanganku tetap pura-pura tidak tahu apa-apa, bahkan tetap menggelar pesta pernikahan megah untukku. Namun, di hari aku mengetahui kehamilanku, dia malah mematahkan kedua kakiku dan mengurungku di rumah. Aku sangat terpuruk dan bertanya kenapa padanya. Dia malah tertawa gila-gilaan. “Kalau bukan karenamu, Luna nggak akan jadi korban pelecehan, dia juga nggak akan bunuh diri! Ini semua salahmu!” Tak kusangka, saat membuka mata lagi, aku malah kembali ke hari di mana aku bertemu sahabat kecilnya di depan bar.

At Sullivan Group's annual banquet, a female university student approaches Peter Sullivan and offers herself to him. The usually cold and distant Peter suddenly freezes because this young woman looks exactly like his deceased first love. He can't help but tease, "You're asking to be my mistress in front of my wife. Are you so sure you won't be thrown out?" The young lady lifts her chin, and her stubborn expression is identical to that of his lost love. "You two got married for business reasons and mutual benefits. Does she have any say over what you do? Peter, only you can save my mom. Will you do it or not?" She's right. I'm just a pawn in a marriage of convenience. How could I possibly influence Peter's choices? But then, I catch a glint of tenderness in his eyes that I've never seen before, and a self-deprecating smile forms on my lips. Maybe, instead of clinging on and being thrown out like trash, it's better if I give up my place willingly.

⚠️ WARNING! * 18+ Mature audience only* Dreg watched as she walked over to the fireplace to get warmth. “You cower away from my presence, tell me Ilena do you not want this marriage?” “It is my duty as a princess of Thane to serve as your tribute.” She stated softly. It was an answer but not the answer that Dreg was expecting. Her statement only meant that she was willing to be married to him just to fulfil her duty as a tribute and that irks him. He raised her chin up to face him. “Then don’t cower away from my touch, you are my wife now not the princess of Thanes.” ****** The Northern beast king of Sulcar requests a tribute from the Eastern kingdom of Thanes and what better tribute than Ilena, the wretched princess of Thanes. Through a sudden marriage to the Northern beast king, Ilena is thrust into a whole new world that she could never have fathom. She discovers the hidden secrets buried in the blood of the Sulcarns and is faced with hurdles of being a worthy queen and a worthy mate for the ruthless beast king. Join Ilena through the roller coaster of adventures, betrayals, thriller and not to forget, the steamy romance that brews between her and the Northern King.