Cloud Strife Smile

I wake up to a noise outside my room, my eyes widen to see my parents on their knees on the floor and a very tall man with a gun to his head. My dad had a pained expression on his face, he turns his face to the top of the stairs where our eyes meet. He quickly gave a smirk, it made me shiver. '' There!! '' My dad points at me making the man look at me. ''He can be the payment for your boss. He what? But there wasn't even time to think straight, the man grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. I look at my parents who smile, soon tears formed in my eyes. They... Are they selling me? I'm being sold to men I've never seen.

After being married for five years, my husband, Harvey Jepson, brings his first love, Debbie Grayson, home after a six-month business trip. Debbie is over three months pregnant. Harvey says it's hard for her alone, so she's temporarily living with us. I say no, and Harvey warns me to know my place. His scornful tone seems to hint that he's forgotten this villa was a wedding gift to me. He and his family have been leeching off me for the past five years. This time, I'm cutting all of them off. I smile and call my assistant. "Draw up a divorce agreement for me now. To think a live-in husband would have the nerve to bring his mistress home so boldly."

***The cover is taken from Google*** I wince when my bangles dig into my skin,forcing a smile,hoping my boredom didn't show in my movements. I inwardly roll my eyes when my father makes introductions. What lame crap. They obviously know each other. Why make intros? I hiss when my sister steps on my foot,making me looking up. I glance at a middle aged couple, freezing when I made eye contact with an all too familiar grinning face, my vision landing next to her, hoping it was just a bad dream, my heart stopping and finally turning into an icicle when I stared into eyes of the most unexpected person, the person looking back at me, but not quite acknowledging me.

On our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband, Jaxon Wilde, walks through the door with his hundredth new mistress. From my neck, he snaps the necklace that was once our token of love and fastens it around hers. Amid the guests' jeers and mocking laughter, the lady tugs timidly at my gown and murmurs, "Mr. Wilde wants me to wear this dress tonight, Scarlett." It was a dress altered from my wedding gown ten years ago, and I wore it tonight like a fool, hoping he might remember. But now, he wants to strip his wife bare in public and give it to his mistress on the wedding anniversary. Under the weight of everyone's sneers, I look up at him and give him a genuine smile for the first time in a decade. "Let's get divorced, Jaxon."

They betrayed her, broke her, and left her to die. But fate had other plans. Lyriel gave everything for love. Her time. Her dreams. Her heart. She built his empire, raised the child he claimed was abandoned, and stood by him when no one else would. But behind every kiss was a lie. Behind every smile, betrayal. When the truth finally came to light, it shattered more than just her world—it cost her her life. Poisoned. Stabbed. Burned. But Lyriel's story didn’t end in the flames. She opened her eyes to a time before it all began—before the wedding, before the lies, before she handed her life away to those who would watch her burn. This time, she’s not here to love. She’s here to destroy.

My husband drives me out so I can meet my best friend for an afternoon tea session. That's when I discover a used condom and a stray earring wedged between the door and the front passenger seat. I'm distraught as I head to the restaurant. My best friend hugs me warmly, but the lone earring she wears pierces my heart. I don't expose them for their betrayal. Instead, I fall into bed with my husband's best friend that very night. Later, James Fullman roars and asks why I've done this to him. I smile faintly and lean into the embrace of the man beside me. "You're not the only one who can get hot and heavy in the front passenger seat, you know."

I hadn't seen my mafia husband, Luca Moretti, and our daughter Dora in three whole months. Why? Because his mother, Fiona, said Dora should stay with her "for a while." And Luca? He was "too busy with business," as always. So when Luca finally called and said he was going to pick me up for a family reunion at the villa, I was overjoyed. I thought maybe, just maybe, I'd finally get to hold my little girl again. I spent the whole damn day running around the city, buying her favorite dolls, snacks, a new pink dress, anything I thought would make her smile at me again. But when the car arrived, it wasn't what I imagined. Before I could even say Hi, Dora turned her head, took one look at me… and then wrapped her arms even tighter around Maria, the maid. She buried her face in Maria's neck like I wasn't even there. Like Maria was her mom. I tried to approach her, but Dora straight-up told me she didn't want to ride in the same car as me. And Maria, wearing that fake, polite smile, kept trying to gently talk me into giving Dora "a little more time." I looked over at Luca, hoping he'd step in. Instead, he just looked annoyed, like he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger to help fix things between me and our daughter. Clearly, they didn't want me there. So what was the point of trying to join the ride? I stepped back from the SUV. Then Luca just turned to me and said, "Just wait here. I won't be long." What he'll never understand is… I'm done waiting for him.

After five years of marriage, my husband, Abel Brooks goes on a business trip that lasts half a year. When he returns, he brings his first love, Cora Garrett, back. She's already three months pregnant. Abel says that life is tough for her and wants her to move in with us temporarily. I object, and he tells me to know my place. His tone is scornful—it seems he's forgotten that the villa we live in was one of my wedding gifts. He and his family have leeched off me all this while. This time, I'm going to stop providing for them. I smile and call my assistant. "Draft a divorce agreement for me now. To think a live-in son-in-law would have the nerve to bring his mistress home like this."

My best friend and I were thrown into the beast tribe where females were rare and the law was polyandry. Last time, she chose the alluring serpent man as her mate, while I chose the loyal wolf man as mine. Her harem grew, her mate got jealous and caged her underground. My mate cherished me, and when he became chieftain, he placed the tribe at my feet. That was until my best friend shoved me off a cliff. I woke up back to the day of choosing our mates. She claimed my wolf man with a triumphant smile, in return, I simply pointed to the white tiger priest. Being the wife of the chieftain was too small a dream, after all. In a world where females rule, I'll take the throne.

My three-year-old son looked nothing like my husband. Suspicious, my father-in-law secretly took my son for a paternity test. The results showed that there was no biological relationship between them. Furious and humiliated, my father-in-law erupted in anger, hurling insults at me and even threatening to kill us. My husband, just as enraged, slapped me hard across the face. "You shameless wrench! You've made me raise another man's child for three years!" As I stared at their accusing faces, I calmly produced another report—the paternity test between my husband and his father. It confirmed they weren't biologically related either. Their expressions froze in shock. With a faint smile, I said, "Looks like we don't know for sure who isn't part of this family, do we?"