Drowning Thumbs Up

“You scrape by, taking me to cheap dinners, wearing the same old clothes, living like you're stuck in some broke college life. It’s embarrassing. You’re embarrassing!” Claire scoffed at Julian,“We’re done, Julian. Take your pathetic cheap gift and get out of my life. This is over.” -- Julian, a young man, barely getting by as a janitor, had always been belittled and looked down upon by society. He was constantly treated like he was worthless. Not caring what the world thought of him, he never stopped trying to make his fiance Claire happy, pouring every ounce of himself into their relationship. However,Julian uncovers the painful trut, that Claire has been cheating on him with his boss, leaving him broken hearted. That same night, he’s left homeless. Faced with the harsh reality, he was forced to reclaim his estranged family empire, to teach those who looked down on him, and treated him like dirt a lesson.

BLURB Millie is a 23-year-old woman who just wishes to live life happily. Coming out from an abusive relationship, she tries to navigate through life with her son, Jay. But nothing falls into place. Now she's in a choke hold with the government who plans to take away her Custody rights. ADAN GREY a cold reserved business mogul. He came back to revive his grandfather's company and keep his promise. Series of events and drama spree up every now and then but his mind can't seem to shake off a red-headed clumsy staff member who has spiked his interest. He plans to use her as she is the perfect catch in his plans due to her situation. Just for the keeps. But for how long? For how long will he dance in the sizzling hot fire of attraction. How long will he stop his heart from drowning too deep in her scent? How long would he be able to resist her? Or would he abandon everything else and love her till the end? How long can she be his to keep?

"He killed our mother with his own sinful hands, elder. I cannot forgive him." When fate takes a very wrong turn Lesley Castell - a wronged alpha female of her pack - is paired with twin Alpha brothers named Jacob Bloodmond and Jean Bloodmond. Jean accepts Lesley as his mate quickly, but what happens to Lesley the moment she finds another wolf in the woods claiming her and kidnapping her from the possession of Jean's territory? What the brothers don't know about Lesley's truth, will shock them and traumatize them for an eternity. Because she carries the same cursed blood in her veins as their dead mother. Will she land in the same fate as their mother...? Or does reality finally settle between the two begrudging brothers?

On the night she’s crowned Luna, Aria Wynter is betrayed—her Alpha disappears into the arms of his past, leaving her broken and bound by a hollow mark. Betrayed and abandoned, she finds solace in the arms of the Alpha’s Beta, Riven. Torn between duty, desire, and a dangerous secret that could shatter everything, Aria must decide to either protect her heart or surrender to the one man she was never meant to love.

A hell-recycle world within the modern world, designed for death or near-death individuals. With the greenhouse effect resulting in instability in hell, access to hell becomes restricted, and the game keeps the new souls busy while offering them a second chance to return to their lives before death, depending on their performance. A six-digit cash prize is awarded to the winning participants, with rewards ranging from reversed choices and time manipulation to wealth and more. The 100 Doors Challenge System was designed purposely for this world, to keep the growing audience (already existing souls) entertained. Chosen participants must die beautifully at each door. The fancier and more tragic the death, the higher the views. The story alternates between real-world broadcast control rooms, digital death arenas, and fragmented dreamlike worlds designed from Author Willa’s traumas, fears, and regrets and those of the participating ghosts. 100 Doors: Die Fabulously for the Audience. This story contains graphic adult themes, including explicit sexual content, psychological tension, dark humour, trauma, and scenes of coercion and moral ambiguity. It explores mature, disturbing, and emotionally intense situations within a fantasy-system setting. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Aku pergi menonton konser penyanyi favoritku sendirian. Saat sesi permintaan lagu, aku sangat gembira, berdoa semoga aku menjadi penonton yang beruntung. Namun detik berikutnya, suamiku yang sedang dalam perjalanan bisnis muncul di layar lebar dan di sebelahnya adalah cinta pertamanya, Desi Maulanda. “Aku ingin meminta lagu ‘Kembali ke Masa Lalu’, kembali ke tiga tahun lalu, Martin Sutanto tidak akan pernah putus dengan Desi.” Seluruh penonton bersorak, merayakan cinta mereka. Hanya aku yang menangis. Saat sesi permintaan lagu berikutnya, aku melihat wajahku yang berlinang air mata muncul di layar lebar. “Aku juga akan meminta lagi ‘Kembali ke Masa Lalu’, kembali ke masa lalu aku tidak akan pernah menerima lamaran Martin.”

Elara Smith spent years of her life devoted to a man who doted on her and swore she was his everything. But on their anniversary, her world collapsed. Alexander Sterling dumped her for her own best friend—a woman from a wealthy family. Heart broken and left with nothing, Elara disappeared without a trace. Six years later, she returns as a successful, high-stakes lawyer sought after by the city's elite. Alexander is desperate to win her back, claiming he never wanted her gone in the first place. But Elara has built a wall between them. Now, she faces a choice: succumb to his charms or stay focused on her quest for revenge. As old secrets are told and the lies finally unfold, a bigger truth waits in the shadows. How will Alexander react when he finds out the two little angels she returned with are actually his?

Sahabat terbaikku, Maya, terbang dari Miama untuk menemaniku di minggu pesta lajangku. Hari-hari terakhir kebebasanku. Dia bersikeras merayakannya dengan acara malam khusus wanita di rumah, memesan semua makanan pesan antar favoritku. Dia memintaku memegang ponselnya dan menunggu. Tiba-tiba, layar ponselnya menyala. Sebuah pesan dari seorang pria. Foto tanpa baju. Aku pun membaca pesan itu. [ Aku butuh kamu malam ini. ] Kemudian, pesan itu disusul foto lain lagi. Foto mainan seks dan perlengkapan bondage seperti yang di film. Wajahku terasa panas. Jantungku berdegup kencang. Tanpa disengaja, aku baru saja masuk ke kehidupan rahasianya. Namun, gambar berikutnya membuatku diam terpaku. Foto close-up dada pria itu. Sebuah bekas luka bergerigi yang kukenal lebih baik daripada diriku sendiri. Itu milik tunanganku, Lucian Caraka.

Tepat di hari peringatan 30 tahun pernikahan kami, suamiku masih dalam perjalanan dinas. Makanan di meja sudah dingin. Di tengah aku masih menunggu kedatangannya, aku menerima notifikasi suamiku reservasi hotel. "Aku masih dinas, bukankah wajar aku menginap di hotel?" Suamiku masih merahasiakan, lalu aku meminta bukti video darinya, tetapi dia tidak membalas pesanku lama. Putraku menyeletuk, "Bu, jangan bertingkah berlebihan. Bukankah Ayah bekerja keras juga untuk kita berdua?" Semua orang menganggap aku adalah ibu rumah tangga yang bahagia karena memiliki suami yang perhatian dan putraku memiliki karier yang sukses. Namun, ketika aku menerima notifikasi reservasi hotel, seketika aku merasa muak. Mereka mengira aku tidak tahu apa-apa. Aku ingin bercerai. Semua pengorbananku selama 30 tahun ini ternyata tidak dihargai. "Kamu bukan anak kecil lagi, berhentilah membuat keributan!" Suamiku memohon agar kami tidak bercerai. Dalam perjalanan pulang di tengah malam, suamiku mengalami kecelakaan mobil. Putraku marah dan mengatakan bahwa aku tidak becus menjadi istri maupun ibu. Melihat anakku emosi dan suamiku yang pura-pura terbaring lemah di ranjang, aku mencibir dalam hati. Kalau kamu suka pura-pura sakit, aku akan membuatmu lumpuh selamanya!'

Tepat memasuki tahun ketujuh pernikahanku dengan Hans, cinta pertamanya, yaitu Yeni kembali dari luar negeri. Kini aku baru sadar bahwa Hans hanya menganggapku sebagai pengganti selama ini. Pada hari aku mengurus prosedur perceraian, aku juga memesan tiket kereta api. Satu-satunya anak yang kukhawatirkan, justru bersorak kegirangan. "Berarti Tante Yeni sekarang bisa menikah dengan ayah dan menjadi ibuku?" Anak ini memiliki selera wanita yang sama dengan ayahnya. Aku mengemasi barang-barang tanpa ragu, lalu pergi dari rumah. Tiga bulan kemudian, aku dan putriku tidak sengaja bertemu lagi dengan ayah dan saudaranya. Putriku bertanya dengan bingung, "Bu, kenapa anak laki-laki itu terus menatap ibu sambil menangis?" Aku menggandeng putriku dan langsung berbalik pergi. "Entahlah, ibu nggak kenal."