Concern Unscramble

A week after I gave birth via C-section, Mark Whitman invited his friends over to celebrate the birth of our son. The crowd was boisterous—more than a dozen people. Not one of them bothered to remove their dirty shoes. The wooden floor was soon covered in muddy footprints. Mark came into the room and, without a hint of concern, ordered me out of bed. "Everyone's waiting outside. Don't just hide here and rest—you're embarrassing me in front of our guests." I had no choice but to push through the pain, forcing my body to prepare a huge meal for the large crowd, all on my own. When I carried the final bowl of steaming soup to the table, Lily Hoyte—whether intentionally or not—jabbed her hand against the wound on my abdomen. My hand trembled from the sudden pain, and the bowl slipped slightly, spilling the hot soup onto Lily's shoes. Mark's face darkened instantly. "What the heck did you do, Cammy? Lily rushed here right after her plane landed from overseas to see our son, and this is how you treat her?" The crowd quickly chimed in. "Come on, Cammy, no need to be so petty." "Mark and Lily grew up together. If there was really something between them, do you think you'd even be here now?" "Do you even know how much those shoes cost? They're limited edition—easily over ten thousand dollars. And you just ruined them." Lily stood up awkwardly, her eyes misting with tears. "If Cammy doesn't like me," she said softly, "then I'll leave. I don't want to be a bother." But Mark grabbed her hand in an exaggerated display of protection, his voice harsh as he turned to me. "Wipe Lily's shoes clean. Right now." His partiality for Lily made something sharp twist in my chest. My lips quivered as I fought back tears. "The wound on my stomach hasn't healed yet. I can't bend over." At that, his expression grew colder. "Don't use childbirth as an excuse. If you can't bend over, then kneel and wipe them. And if you won't, get out of my house!"

Liam thought his life couldn’t get any worse—struggling to survive, working multiple jobs, and dealing with a rich, spoiled bully at school who made his life miserable. But everything takes a terrifying turn when he receives a text from the one person he never wanted to hear from again—Fabian, his obsessive, psychopathic ex, freshly released from prison and determined to get him back no matter the cost. Just as he plans to disappear and start over, things grow even more complicated. Damien, the arrogant heir who has tormented him for years, suddenly begins acting differently—offering help, showing concern, and blurring the lines between enemy and something more. And then there’s Sebastian Devereaux—a cold, powerful CEO with a haunted past. A man who isn’t supposed to care, yet somehow gets entangled in Liam’s life in ways neither of them expect. Caught between a past that won’t let him go, an enemy who might be something else entirely, and a man with demons of his own, Liam must make a choice: run for his life or risk being Torn Between Three.

“Noo!!! This can't be happening!!” I screamed silently, my eyes shut tight, praying that the nightmare would dissipate when I opened them. But the cruel reality remained. Asher, my husband, held Theresa, my best friend, in his arms, his hands tenderly caressing her swollen belly. I felt my world shattering, my mind reeling in shock. Minutes ticked by like an eternity as I lay there, unconscious, but Asher's concern wasn't for me – it was for his unborn child. The word "barren" still echoed in my mind, a painful reminder of how he saw me. I had been blind to his desperation for a child, oblivious to the fact that I was just a means to an end. As I struggled to stand, my body felt weak, my mind racing with the betrayal. The memories of our three-year relationship, the two and a half years of supposed love, and the six months of deceit flooded my mind. It was too cruel to be true. * Alexandra's perfect life crumbles when she catches her husband, Asher, cheating on her with her best friend, Theresa. Labeled as barren and discarded, she later discovers she's pregnant – but Asher refuses to believe her. Seeking refuge with her parents, she faces heartbreak when her baby dies. Years later, Alexandra rebuilds her life, unknowingly falling for Asher's rival, Ethan Blackwood. But just as things start to look up, dark secrets begin to surface, threatening to destroy her newfound happiness.

Lillian’s marriage to Alpha Keegan was never built on love, but she never imagined how far she’d be pushed. With a cold, indifferent husband and a manipulative mother demanding constant financial support, Lillian’s life has become a cage. When Sienna, the woman Keegan is clearly in love with, enters the picture, Lillian’s place in her own world crumbles—especially when she learns Sienna is pregnant with Keegan's child. After a minor injury leads to an unexpected hospital visit, Keegan’s sudden concern feels more like a performance for his family than genuine care. But when he demands she donate blood to save Sienna, Lillian’s breaking point arrives. Tired of being a pawn in a game of indifference and manipulation, Lillian decides it's time to leave. But escaping the man who controls her fate and the pack that doesn’t understand her pain will be no easy task. With a shattered heart and no allies, Lillian must find the courage to break free and reclaim her life. Will Lillian rise above the betrayals, or will she remain a shadow of the woman she was meant to be?

Lihim sa mga kabanda ni Jhonel Hosoda ang relasyon niya sa co-singer sa dating pinagtatrabahuan niya sa Japan, not until he proposed to Akime, upang matanggap lamang ang rejection mula rito. Ang matagal niyang pinaghandaan at inasam ay nasira sa isang sandali lang. Ngunit kung bakit sa gitna ng pag-iwan ni Akime sa kanya ay biglang may isang babaeng nais pumalit sa ex-girlfriend niya para maging asawa. Sa labis na awa at concern ay inalok ni Laceyleigh ang kamay niya kay Jhonel para siya na lang ang pakasalan nito, pero sa halip ay pinagtawanan siya. But her guts reached to its next level. She kissed him, and then... he kissed her back! Mula niyon ay umiwas na siya rito. Sadyang mapagbiro lang ang tadhana dahil sa kagagawan ni Jhonel ay nag-viral sa social media ang pictures niya, hindi dahil sa gusto siya nitong makita kundi para mabawi ang engagement ring na ninakaw niya. Mahanap pa kaya muli nila ang isa’t isa?

A romantic confrontation between two queers arranged in a marriage they didn’t want. Donatella and Pietro both came from families known in the fashion industry, and being queer is a tough challenge because of their parents’ expectations on them. After their successful wedding, Donatella and Pietro created an agreement, but how can they succeed when one starts to show concern and one starts to feel affection even they know to themselves that they are both not into one another. Two queer strangers that will develop confusion, but falling in love is the only solution?

"Alam mo ikaw ha, masyado kang pala-desisyon. Buhay ko ito kaya huwag kang makialam lalo pa at wala naman ako’ng naging say sa love life mo,” naiinis na pahayag ko kay Franco. Naiinis kasi ito nang malaman na gusto ko ng magkaanak. Lagpas na ako sa kalendaryo at sa takot ko na mapag-iwanan ay ito ang naisip ko na solusyon. Wala sa vocabulary ko ang pag-aasawa dahil na rin sa naging karanasan ng nanay ko at sa nakikita ko sa paligid ko kaya nawalan na ako ng interes lalo na sa mga lalaki. Maraming nanliligaw subalit lahat sa akin ay red flags. Dagdagan pa nitong kaibigan ko na walang inaayawan basta naka-palda sa paningin nito lahat ay maganda. Mabait naman ito, matalino, responsable, masipag at madiskarte subalit sadyang palikero. “Ako ha, concern lang ako sa iyo. Huwag sanang masamain. Mamaya sa kagustuhan mo ay mapahamak ka pa.” Patuloy na litanya ni Franco sa akin. “Kaya nga bago pa mangyari iyon ay uunahan ko na. Hindi ako mai-inlove, hindi ako magiging martir at lalong hindi ko hahayaan na masaktan lang ako ng kagaya mo. Kaya nga anak lang ang gusto ko at iyon na ang pupuno sa pangarap ko. Hindi ako mag-aasawa at sakit lang iyan sa ulo,” masungit na sagot ko. “Ganun ba? Bakit ka pa maghahanap sa malayo at hindi mo kilala kung mayroon naman sa harapan mo? Ako na lang kaya, ano? Makakasiguro ka pa na galing sa magandang lahi at pamilya ang magiging anak mo,” tugon ni Franco. Napamaang ako sa naging sagot n’ya. Pwede kaya o baka magiging mitsa lang ito ng bagong kalbaryo sa buhay namin? Mas makapagpapatibay o makakasira kaya ito sa aming pagkakaibigan? Subalit hindi ko maiwasan kiligin at makadama ng challenge na baka ako lang pala ang makapagpapatino kay Franco.