Do You Speak English

Maica Delmundo is a well-known model—beautiful, sexy, intelligent, and admired by many. It seems like she has it all. But beneath her fame lies a hidden secret, one that could ruin the career she has worked so hard to protect. What is the secret she’s keeping? Is she ready to let go of her success? Or will she hold onto it, even if it means losing the man she loves?

The novel is mainly about the forgotten British poet/writer named C. J Richards who lived in Burma/Myanmar in colonial times and he believed himself as a Burmophile. He served as I.C.S (Indian Civil Servant) and when he retired from I.C.S service, he was a D.C (District Commissioner) and he left for England a year before Burma gained its independence in 1948. He came to Burma in 1920 to work in civil service after passing the hardest I.C.S examination. He wrote several books on Burma and contributed many monthly articles to Guardian Magazine published in Burma from 1953 to 1974 or 1975. Though he wrote several books which had much literary merit to both communities, Britain and Burma (Myanmar), people failed to recognize him. The story has two parts: one part is set in the contemporary Yangon (then called Rangoon) in 2016 context and a young literary enthusiast named “Lin” found out unexpectedly the forgotten writer’s poetry book and there is surely a good deal of time gap that led him into a quest to know more about the author’s life. The setting is quite different comparing to colonial Burma and independence Myanmar (Burma), early twentieth century and 2016 which is a transitional period in Myanmar. The writer’s life is fictionalized in the novel and most of the facts are taken from his personal stories and other reference books. It is a kind of historical novel with a twist and it has comparatively constructed the two different periods in Myanmar history to convince readers, locally and abroad more about history, authorship, humanity, colonialism, and transitional development in Myanmar today.

If you want to fall in love, you should expect to be hurt. If you want to forget, do you really need a replacement? Perlm repeatedly wondered what she should do to forget the past. Until she finds a way. Being tied to a man she also hates. A man who closed his heart and it only beats for his deceased loved one. What will Perlm and Deon do when they find out their past will return? Their loved ones will return even though they are already tied to each other. Tied to the rope they bound because of reasons and problems from which they could not escape.

Extreme beauty, intelligence, and unique set of skills. Zea was only seventeen back then and everything in her life was perfect. But not until they killed her father and took away the man that she loves. Driven, she set out overseas and train to be the best special agent. And after nine long years, she's given an assignment. A dangerous, highly classified mission, as an undercover high school student. In a well-known university that is secretly run by a viciously organized underground syndicate, that is strongly linked to her father's death. Determined to seek justice. Everything is right in place. But not until she found him—again.

Joaquin Antonio Jr., A young CEO, handsome, outlet of wealth, and a certified playboy, but a good son. For him, there is no need to take women seriously. There are many of them and they come to him voluntarily, because he has a lot of money. He has agreed to find a bride within two months in order to thwart his father's wanting for him to marry his childhood friend who is secretly in a relationship with his best friend, Patrick. Because of this, he offered marriage to a stranger woman who turned out to be the mother of his own daughter whom he had impregnated four years ago, Lara. But what about his father's reputation? The honorable name of their family that had long kept from being tarnished if the woman he chose to marry for his father would bring shame to their family because she is a scourge and a disgrace? Is he willing to lose everything and this time stand up against his father whom he has always followed for the only woman who truly loved him despite him hiding to her his true identity? Where does a romance that started with pure lies lead?

The life trial system "If You Think You Can Do Better, Prove It" burst onto the scene like a traveling circus promising wonders. The idea was plain enough: "If you reckon someone's life is a mess, and you think you can do better, go ahead and prove it. There's a reward waiting if you do." Before I knew it, my whole family had me pegged for the fool in the middle of the show. There was my mother, dreaming of turning me into some grand goose; my husband, who'd spent years dodging his rightful share of the family load; and my son, mortified by the very sight of me. They shoved me onto the "judgment seat" like I was the villain of the tale. Every last one of them swore up and down that, given my place, they'd manage my life better than I ever could. The stakes? Well, if they pulled it off, my consciousness would be erased—gone, wiped out like a mistake on a chalkboard—and turned into their personal servant. On top of that, they'd waltz off with a cool million dollars. But if they couldn't? Then I'd be the one raking in three million dollars. Now that's a gamble for the ages, isn't it?

“Perempuan angkuh! Kau hanya seorang penari erotis, tapi sikapmu yang pongah ini seolah-olah kau adalah putri. Aku bisa saja menawarmu dengan uangku lalu memuaskan diriku dengan tubuhmu dan setelah itu membuangmu seperti sampah." Sean berbicara perlahan, dengan sengaja menekankan setiap kata. "Jadi Kesya mulai sekarang perhatikan sikapmu padaku, sebelum aku benar-benar menghancurkanmu tanpa sisa." Kesya tersenyum sinis lalu menjawab perkataan Sean yang seperti tak punya perasaan itu dengan sikap tenang. “Memangnya kenapa kalau aku penari erotis? Apa pekerjaanmu mengusik ketenanganmu? Kau mengataiku sampah tapi lihat dirimu sendiri, bukankah kau sangat menyedihkan? Jika kau sudah mengetahui bahwa aku ini sampah dan menjijikkan, kenapa kau malah mengejarku?” sambungnya dengan menohok ke dalam hati Sean.

Like cats and dogs—that’s how Nick and Jessica’s relationship was. Jessica became Nick’s temporary secretary because his male secretary had to take a leave. Nick was allergic to female secretaries, believing that none of them were trustworthy and that they all had hidden agendas. That’s why he never hired a female secretary. But this time, he had no choice—he couldn’t handle everything on his own without a secretary. And Jessica was the only one available, personally trusted by his best friend, Andrei. Even though he was "allergic," he had to endure it—after all, it was only for three days. But how could he possibly endure it when, in less than a day, she was already making a mess of things? She was only proving his belief that female secretaries were unreliable. And how could Jessica prove that she was a professional and skilled secretary if her temporary boss—grumpy and seemingly carrying the weight of the world—had already judged her without giving her a chance? How long could they put up with each other? And could love possibly bloom when, from the very beginning, they already had the worst impression of one another?

Yannie Ace Ruiz came from a simple and humble family. She is the second among five siblings. Having a romantic relationship was outside her vocabulary because she was busy excelling in her studies, taking care of her siblings, and assisting her parents. Aside from these responsibilities, she was also occupied as a fangirl of the 4SBLUE band. She deeply loved the group and felt overjoyed whenever she watched their performances. So, she was content and didn't mind not having a boyfriend, unlike her friends. But everything changed when she met Josh Rain Montez. She got to know him through an online slash virtual friend who was also a fan of 4SBLUE and other K-pop groups. Since she entrusted her heart to him, her life took a different turn. What used to be simple and peaceful now had a unique mix of chaos and joy, far from what she expected. The guy was wealthy, an only child, famous, handsome, talented, sweet, and possessive when it came to her! She felt like her hair had grown much longer because he was head over heels for her. He was ready to fight for their love even if spears or any storm obstructed them. What used to be only found in books or seen in television dramas was happening to her now. Will their love triumph in the end?

"I've spent my entire career fighting for justice, but my heart just betrayed everything I stand for. I'm a lawyer, and I've fallen for the one person I should hate - the most notorious criminal in the country.