Doing The Same Thing And Expecting Different Results

After I join a new company, I keep running into problems—not from people, but from the company's equipment. The fingerprint scanner fails to recognize me every single time, and I have to submit a manual attendance appeal almost daily. When I ask the admin to change the device, they respond with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Everyone else clocks in just fine. Why are you the only one with so many issues?" The air vent above my desk blasts cold air directly at me. My hands and feet are freezing every day. I ask to switch seats. My manager looks at me like I am making things up. "Everyone else sits there without a problem. How come the AC only blows cold air when you sit there?" One strange incident after another makes it impossible for me to function at work. When I get home, I complain to my boyfriend and say I want to quit. He shuts down the thought immediately. "You're making almost 60 thousand dollars a year before benefits, with weekends off and paid leave. Where are you going to find a job like that?" I think about it and realize he isn't wrong. Just as I decide to stick it out, the company elevator malfunctions. I fall from the 33rd floor and die. In my final moments, I can't understand it—why does every piece of equipment in the company seem to target me alone? All the devices are newly installed. All my coworkers are people I have just met. I have no grudges with anyone. There's no reason for someone to sabotage me from behind the scenes. When I open my eyes again, I am back at the company. It's my very first day on the job.

Growing up, Martheliwa Carmeli Ismael never had the chance to meet his father. Kahit na ganoon, hindi niya naramdaman na may kulang sakaniya dahil nariyan ang kaniyang ina na sobra ang pagmamahal. Their life was very simple yet full of love. Despite of having only her mother by her side, Marwa was genuinely happy and contented. But when her mother died, that was when her entire life completely had changed specially when her father decided to look for her. Ngunit mula nang makilala niya ang ama, ang tahimik niyang buhay noon ay naging masalimuot. And with the presence of Hayes Verulendez, a man who’s definitely and certainly out of her league, she never thought that having a connection with him would turn her world upside down.

"You think you have a choice?" Vittorio squeezed my nipples with his hand and my sanity with the other. “ You were never going to be anyone else's from the moment I set eyes on you”. His voice a deadly whisper His words cut through me making my chest tighten with fear "You’re Ours, kitten," he continued, his gaze locking onto mine and stealing the breath from my lungs. "You will be claimed, used, and Fucked however I see fit. Do you understand?" "I... I understand," I whispered, feeling my resistance crumble under his dark, green eyes. "You will lay before me, Katarina," he commanded his voice a low growl. "Spread your swollen pussy wide, and show me how desperate you are for me to fuck you." Katarina Delgado was supposed to belong to another man. Sold like property to Mafia Don Giordano, her virginity was payment for a debt her father couldn't afford. But when her brother Mateo tries to save her and fails, she ends up in the hands of a deadlier monster: Vittorio De Luca, the brutal mafia king who cages her, collars her, and whispers filth like love. Now, locked in a war between cartels, Katarina is the prize. But not just for Vittorio. Valentino De Luca, his missing twin, has returned. Sharper. Slower. Unhinged. And he doesn’t want to steal her. He wants to share her. Together. In a world of cages, kings, and betrayal, the only thing more dangerous than being wanted… is being wanted by both of them.

On the day the SAT results are revealed, the fake heiress, Layla Sanders, colluded with our homeroom teacher, Richard Hoffman, to report me for cheating during the exam. When I stared at both copies of the exam papers that showed the same steps and formulas, I couldn't defend myself at all. In order to preserve Layla's pride, my own parents actually forced me to admit to stealing the exam questions in advance. Then, they had me forcibly admitted into a mental asylum. The Sanders family claimed that I had gone crazy just so they could keep this particular skeleton sealed in the closet. They abandoned me, letting me be tormented endlessly in the asylum. When I finally escaped from the asylum, I died in a car crash that was meticulously staged by Layla. Only on the verge of my death did I finally realize that the so-called "blood is thicker than water" mentality was nothing compared to a tear shed by Layla. The moment I open my eyes again, I've gotten reborn in the exam hall. This time, I choose to submit my exam paper without anything scribbled on it. I'd like to see just how someone with a total of zero points can possibly copy off the so-called top scorer of SAT.

"I can smell your arousal, Omega. Now quit being stubborn, spread those legs wide, and welcome me with gratitude." I stared at him quietly. I was dripping wet, but I wasn't letting any other Alpha use me like that. "I am sorry, Alpha, but I would have to reject your offer." He froze and stared blankly at me for a while. He looked stunned more by the fact that he did not believe anyone could reject him. Future Alphas and some selected warriors are taken away from the Titan pack to undergo serious training until the present Alpha dies. They are devoid of all forms of pleasure and denied mates until they return when they are allowed to have sex with any female and release sexual tension until they are blessed with mates. I was one of the slaves dragged away from my pack after a raid. I was there to scrub floors and clean dishes while staying invisible until I bumped into the Alpha who was said to be ruthless, and he asked to ride me. I rejected politely. It baffled him so much. Every female will die to ride him, but I, a slave from the lowest rank of Omegas had the backbone to reject him.

The kingdom she grew up in is under attack, her father’s armies growing weaker against the unnerving forces of the vampire army. Now that they have been forced from their home, Mortem encroaches into a new kingdom, searching for a new home for his people as he moves to take Sanctus’ home, planning to overthrow her father, the king. With the city quickly falling and all hope for her people fading into the darkness, can Sanctus find the will to fight, the strength to use her deadly ability against all those who threaten her home, her family? When everything and everyone that she loves is ripped away in the blink of an eye, can Sanctus plan her future? Escape thedeadly clutches of her persuers? With no where left to turn and the hope for a peaceful future destroyed, can the young princess find a new will to survive; to fight when all else is lost? Or will she perish along with all those she held dear, leaving her father’s kingdom at the mercy of a dangerous and bloodthirsty creature?

#Second place Winner hopwriter short storystorm " Don't say anymore word than you already have, don't..." I stuck a finger out at him, sauntering away on my heels when a hand wrapped itself around my arm. Breathlessly he whispered, "You know that I do love you and...fine, what exactly was I supposed to do?" "Protect me and stand up for me. That is what you do for someone who you claim you love!" ************ Out to spite her ex-boyfriend after he had broken up with her on her birthday, Daphne slept with a stranger who turned out to be his uncle while trying to rebuff his words that she was unwanted by others. Was she ready for the wild chase that followed when he found out years later that she had been pregnant with his heirs and that she had been hiding the truth all this while? Faced with the ruthless CEO, known as the beast, who wasn't ready to back down, Daphne does everything possible to make sure her kids wouldn't be taken from her, but what happens when love gets in the mix of it all? Would she be able to conquer these weird feelings and give in her all amidst her scars? And with how deadly he turned out to be? And faced with her ex who still wants her back, what choice is she going to make?

Silent, unforgiving and strikingly gorgeous, Rylan Parker is a cold-hearted businessman. An intimidating CEO, perfectly fitted in tailored suits and with a soft side reserved only for his little daughter. He can't afford to fall for anyone and definitely not for the blue-eyed blonde he met at the diner. But when his grandfather's will demands he gets himself a wife, a contract-marriage seems to be the only option. Living under the same roof with the woman he is undeniably attracted to can't be that hard! He just had to make sure of one thing. He does not fall for his sensitive little wife. But that was never really a choice, was it? * * * * Sweet, charming and affectionate, Elena Smith is mostly an emotional mess. Between working two jobs and worrying about her father’s medical bills, she has no time for relationships. But when the hot, arrogant billionaire puts forward a proposition, she’s left to make a choice, a difficult one. The fact that he is ridiculously attractive wasn’t a reason enough for Elena to put her signature on a marriage-contract with a complete stranger. But her father?....Perhaps. What’s two years anyways? Just a little too much time to come out of this with her heart unscathed.

𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐝 She had everything. Perfect family. Amazing best friend. A dream. Until she lost in all in the space of 7 seconds. Her life flips upside down. She was lost. Her mind is infiltrated by dark demons and harsh truths. Emerson struggles to find her purpose. Until him, Kingston James the perfect yet broken boy who happens to be on the same ice hockey team as her older brother. What happens when the sparks fly after one party and Em is left dealing with her feelings for him. It is worth the risk to lose herself in love again and potentially lose someone else. 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 He is a super star. On and off the ring. But he always knew everything was surface level. His brother was his best friend, until he decides to leave and King is left wondering what is the point. He was lost. Except now, he knows he wants to be the help his brother never had. Struggling to maintain the nice guy mentality when his mind is full of darkness. He believed he would never come out of the dark. Until her. His teammate and best friend’s younger sister. A dream - kind, sweet and gorgeous. But totally off limits. But after an enlightening encounter wonders is she the light he needs.

On the day before the Christmas holidays start, my wife, Irene Owens, intends to promote me and give me a raise in order to celebrate my feat of closing a hundred-million-dollar deal. But her assistant, Cody Harrington, purposefully feeds her some cake. Irene, who's known to be a germaphobe, doesn't show any trace of disgust as she subconsciously accepts the spoon, which is tainted with Cody's saliva, into her mouth. The employees begin cheering for them on the spot. Some ask if they are about to get married. Not only does Irene not refute those questions, but she also promotes Cody to a department manager on the spot. When a colleague next to me realizes how silent I've been, he nudges me in the side. "Hey Seb, you're the veteran employee who's stuck by Ms. Owens' side for so long. Why aren't you reacting to the news?" I merely sneer as I toss my share transfer agreement to Cody. "A promotion isn't enough, is it? You can have these shares as your wedding gift."