Family Secrets Novel

On the day of my birthday, my cousin, who does ballet, falls and injures her leg. My father smacks my leg with a club in a fit of rage. I cry out in pain, but he doesn't care. He sneers and says, "Now, you know how it feels! Why didn't you stop to think how much pain your cousin would be in when you pushed her and made her fall down the stairs?" He hits me with all his might until I can't make any more sounds. To drive the lesson home, he shoves me into the basement, uncaring that I'm on the brink of death. "I'll let you out of there once you stop thinking these dirty thoughts, Yvonne!" But when he opens the door to the basement once more, all he sees is my decomposing corpse.

When my daughter, Ruth Jensen, says for the tenth time that she wants a different mother, I don't get angry. I just calmly ask her who she wants instead. She blurts, "Vivian." She means Vivian Green, her tutor… and also the woman my husband has never been able to forget. At Ruth's birthday party that day, she even openly thanks Vivian, saying Vivian takes care of her like a mother. Looking at Ruth's young, innocent face, I finally understand that she doesn't like me. So, I stop caring for her and my husband the way I used to. Instead, I turn around and join a classified national project. Rather than wasting time on people who aren't worth it, I'd be better off serving my country!

Dad and my brother, Jonah Atwood, have always favored my sister, Lisa Atwood, while resenting me. At my coming-of-age ceremony, when several werewolves in the Blackwolf pack corners and harasses me, it's Rex Vaughn, the Alpha's heir, who steps in to protect me. He throws the most extravagant mate-bonding ceremony for me, right before the Moon Goddess. Overnight, I become someone every other female wolf wishes they could be! I'm seven months pregnant when I show up at Lisa's birthday party. Somehow, we're ambushed by dark magic. As always, Dad and Jonah put Lisa first. They throw everything they have into shielding and dragging her out of the enemies' barrier, leaving me trapped in the center of the spell circle, nearly consumed. In the end, it's Rex who pulls me out. Later, I wake up in Stone Cabin, only to walk right into a scene that makes my blood run cold. "You paid off an old witch from the Darkmoon pack to set up that spell circle?" Rex's eyes blaze red with fury. "She's only seven months along, and you were already trying to rip the pup out of her? "What? Were you hoping Lily and her pup would blow up and die together?" Jonah and Dad shrink back, trying to explain themselves. "Lisa's wolf is fading fast. The old witch said the only way to save her and her wolf is to sacrifice someone with the same blood immediately…" Rex snaps, "I care about Lisa more than either of you do! Why else do you think I claimed Lily as my mate? Sure, I want to save Lisa, but not by sacrificing Lily and her pup!" That is how I learn the truth. Rex didn't bond with me because he cared. He did it to save Lisa. As it turns out, he's no different from Dad and Jonah. All they ever see is Lisa, the weak-born wolf. I was never part of the picture to begin with. Since no one's ever truly cared about me, I'll walk away with my pup.

"Anak saya baru berusia enam belas tahun, dan dia hamil! Saya minta pertanggungjawaban nak Diaz!"  Seorang lelaki berumur kisaran empat puluh tahun terduduk dengan wajah kusut dan tatapan penuh luka juga kecewa. Karena anak gadisnya yang selama ini dia jaga telah terenggut kesuciannya oleh kakak kelas di sekolahnya. "Anak saya menghamili putri, Anda?" Ibu dari Diaz tersenyum smrik dengan tatapan meremehkan. Dia tidak akan menyangkal, sebelumnya Diaz memang sudah mengakui kesalahannya yang menodai seorang gadis demi taruhan bersama teman-temannya. Ibu Diaz menatap gadis muda yang terduduk dengan kedua tangan gemetar, saling mengait dan bertumpu di paha. wajahnya kusut dengan mata sembab. Penampilannya begitu sederhana, memakai kaus pendek dengan bawahan rok selutut. Rambutnya sebahu yang tergerai semrawut, namun tidak mengurangi aura cantik dan manisnya.  "Baik, kami akan bertanggung jawab!" Ibu Diaz mengambil sebuah amplop dari dalam tas yang sudah dia siapkan.  "Amplop ini berisi uang dengan jumlah yang tidak sedikit. Saya memberikannya secara cuma-cuma, terserah kalian akan gunakan untuk biaya menggugurkan kandungan atau untuk melahirkan anak itu! Yang jelas, Diaz tidak akan menikahi anak Anda!" tegas Ibu Diaz. "A--apa?  Bagaimana mungkin Anda tega melakukan ini? Bagaimana pun benih yang anak saya kandung adalah cucu, Anda!"  "Hey, Orang Miskin! Kamu pikir saya tidak tahu? Kalian menuntut tanggung jawab agar anak saya menikahi dia demi keuntungan kan? Jangan mimpi bisa hidup enak karena menjebak orang kaya untuk menikahi anakmu! Sekarang pergi!" usir wanita itu dengan wajah garang dia bahkan menyuruh seorang satpam untuk menyeret si gadis dan bapaknya keluar rumah.  "Pergi!" titah satpam dengan mendorong mereka sampai terjatuh di pelataran rumah.  "Bapak? Ba--pak, kenapa, Pak?" Gadis itu menangis histeris ketika melihat bapaknya tiba-tiba sesak napas lalu tak sadarkan diri.  "Bapaaak!" 

My brother-in-law started making a fuss about wanting to spend Christmas vacation at the beach, so I decided we'd make it a family trip. When my husband's adoptive sister got wind of it, she insisted on tagging along with her kid. Without a second thought, my husband went ahead and booked plane tickets for everyone—except me. He expected me to drive there with all the luggage. I thought at least someone in the family would speak up for me, but no, they all sided with him. Fine. If that's how they want it, then we'll go our separate ways—what's theirs is theirs, and what's mine is mine. But the moment I took that stance, the whole family suddenly started panicking…

I stopped fighting. The moment I came back, I stepped out of the family spotlight on purpose— no arguments, no expectations, no awkward “let’s bond” moments. And somehow… that’s when my parents lost their minds. They made my little sister the heir? I congratulated them and filed my transfer to the Vegas branch the same afternoon. They threw her a massive coming-of-age gala? I smiled, booked a flight, and left before the invitations were printed. They bought her a limited-edition luxury car? I claimed my “old wrist injury” made driving impossible and insisted she take it. I thought they’d be relieved. I thought they’d finally get their perfect family without me messing up the picture. But instead—my cold, distant parents started calling nonstop. Showing up at my door. Pleading with me to come home. Asking what they did wrong. Why now? Why only when I stopped trying? Because in my last life, I spent decades clawing for their love— only to die bitter, resented, and humiliated. Even my grown son told me I was embarrassing. This time, I came back different. I refused to fight for a place in their world again. I refused to compete with my sister. I refused to beg. But the moment I stepped away… the entire family empire began to crack. And now they’re terrified. Not because I left— but because they finally realized what they lost.

"Ini perintah! aku ingin menikah denganmu karena suatu alasan, ini tidak melibatkan perasaan yang membuatmu berdebar-debar, kamu pikir kamu siapa?" ucap Ronald, terdengar serius dan memaksa sekaligus meremehkan. "Pernikahan tidak bisa disamakan dengan pekerjaan, Pak. Anda tidak bisa memerintah sesenaknya untuk alasan apapun agar orang menikah, apalagi anda tidak benar-benar mengenal saya" Nadin masih bisa protes. "Jadi kau tidak mau?" Ronald berdiri dan menghampiri Nadin. "Iya, Pak. lagi pula alasan apa yang membuat anda tiba-tiba ingin menikah dengan saya, Pak?" Tanya Nadin, meski ia sudah bisa membaca alasannya, ia hanya ingin mengulur waktu. "Karena aku ingin melihatmu menderita setiap hari di depan mataku" ucap Ronald tepat di hadapan Nadin, itu seperti sebilah pisau yang menggerogoti lehernya, rasanya Nadin ingin menangis mendengarnya, tapi tidak semudah itu membuang-buang air mata untuk orang yang sedang emosi. 'kejam sekali! Harus semenderita inikah, anak dari wanita yang berselingkuh?' ucapnya dalam hati, ia menelan ludahnya dengan kesal. "Maaf, Pak. Saya tidak bisa!" Ucap Nadin tegas, tak ingin diganggu gugat.

I have been the Donna of the Smith family for nine years— but only in name. I took my deceased twin sister Lily’s place, raised her daughter Emma as my own, and lived beside a husband, David, who never once looked at me with love. For nine long years, I gave everything. Emma, however, only saw me as the woman who “killed her mother,” never knowing it was Lily who stole my marriage, my identity, and the man who was supposed to be mine. She pushed me in public, screamed that I was a murderer, and even used the gun I gifted her to shoot the only thing that brought me comfort—a tiny bird I’d been nursing back to health. And David… David, the man I once loved with my whole heart, couldn’t hide the coldness in his eyes. Every time he looked at me, I could feel Lily’s shadow standing between us. So I made a decision. If this family wanted Lily so badly— then they could have her ghost. I would leave the Smith estate, the title of Donna, the child who hated me, and the man who never wanted me. But the night I packed my bags, David suddenly appeared in the doorway, blocking my path— his eyes no longer cold, but afraid. As if he had finally realized what losing me truly meant.

My family has always considered me a harbinger of misfortune. It's all because I can see a countdown to my relatives' deaths. I tell them when my grandfather, father, and mother will die. It all comes true due to various accidents. My three brothers hate me to the core because they think I cursed my parents and grandfather. My mother actually dies after giving birth to my younger sister, but my brothers dote on her to no end. They say she's their lucky star because everything goes well for the family after she's born. But didn't Mom die while giving birth to her? On my 18th birthday, I see my death countdown when I look at myself in the mirror. I buy an urn I like and prepare a meal. I want to have one last meal with my brothers, but none of them show up even when the timer hits zero…

I die in the basement after being burned by acid. My family doesn't recognize me, and they don't call the cops. My mother picks up the scalpel that hasn't been used in years and debones me. My father excitedly mixes my skeleton with concrete and turns me into an exquisite statue. My sister uses the sculpture she's made out of my flesh and portrays herself as a genius sculptor whom everyone admires. Later, the sculpture is shattered, revealing half a broken finger inside. That's when everyone panics.