Finally Home Novels & Stories

It had been five years since I started dating Ross Jenner. His family invited my mother and me to their family home in Fellaton to discuss our wedding plans and to spend Valentine's Day together. It was past 10:00 PM when my mother and I landed, but Ross wasn't there to pick us up because his college junior, Laurel Elledge, had just arrived in Fellaton. He told me to figure out a way to get a cab to the house myself. In a strange place, unfamiliar with the area, it wasn't long before we found ourselves in danger. Just over ten minutes outside the airport, we were robbed. My mother was injured while trying to protect me, and she collapsed, bleeding heavily. Desperate, I held onto her, frantically trying to call Ross. Each call was abruptly cut off, and when I finally reached him, he sounded irritated. "Jennifer, you're an adult, so stop acting like a child. You couldn't even hail a cab on the street? Laurel just got to Fellaton and isn't feeling well. I need to take care of her." Without waiting for a response, he hung up. I tried calling again, only to find that I had been blocked. In the end, my mother's injuries were too severe, and she bled out before the doctors could save her. As I stared at her lifeless body, tears flowed uncontrollably. When I finally checked my phone again, the first thing I saw was a picture Ross had posted on Twitter. In the photo, he was kissing Laurel and holding a bouquet of roses. [Spending Valentine's Day with the one I love most.] I quietly threw the gifts I had brought from home into the trash. Then, I left a comment, which said, [Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.]

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] Maisie is raised on a remote private island owned by her wealthy, controlling family. As the eldest daughter of her parents, she is groomed from childhood to be the perfect and obedient woman. Her every move is strictly monitored, and any defiance is met with harsh discipline from her misogynistic father. While her siblings are afforded freedom, Maisie feels like a caged bird whose spirit is slowly being crushed under the weight of her family's antiquated traditions. She dreams of one day spreading her wings. However, her glimmer of hope is abruptly extinguished when her father informs her he has arranged for her to marry the notoriously cold and ruthless son of a business associate in a strategic move to strengthen the family's corporate empire. Though apprehensive about being shackled to a man rumored to be a beast, Maisie agrees, desperate to finally earn her father's approval and love. The wedding takes place and Maisie is whisked away to her new husband's chilling villa, a place as bleak as its master. Will Maisie find freedom and happiness in her new home, or has she merely been transported to a new hell? Can she tame the beast and thaw his frozen heart? Or will their union finally tear Maisie's soul apart?

At just twenty-five years, she finds herself in a whole new world completely different from the one she grew up in. This new city is one that never sleeps nor slumbers, earnestly running on a 24/7 work system barely giving anyone the chance to catch their breath. With her best friend by her side, she sails through this unfamiliar way of life- long commutes, endless bills you name it. Life isn’t getting easier, but she manages to stay afloat and thrive. After about two years of living from paycheck to paycheck, her tireless efforts finally pay off when she lands a new job that promises to be sustainable. For the first time in her work life, things finally seem to be going as planned. She earns more and is now able to send enough money home to her family and have some left for herself. But just when everything seems to be perfect, things take a sudden turn left. A coworker accuses her of work malpractice, an allegation that could tear apart everything she has worked so hard for. With her reputation and livelihood on the line, will she be able to prove her innocence before it's too late or will one false accusation destroy the trust she gained from her boss and get her fired?

I was supposed to be a bride, not a prize. On my wedding day, the scent of expensive pine and pack law was replaced by the metallic tang of blood and ancient power. The man who dragged me into the darkness wasn't a stranger—he was the ghost who haunted my childhood. Silas. My former stepfather. "You’re shaking, little wolf," he growled, his voice a low vibration against my neck that made my skin ignite. "Is it fear, or is your heat finally waking up for its True Alpha?" Years ago, he was the man who walked out on my mother; now, he’s the Rogue King who’s come to reclaim the throne. But the twist isn't just the mate bond burning between us—it’s the realization that the boy I was supposed to marry is Silas’s long-lost son. The 'Step' was just a label; the 'Mate' is a blood-deep command. Silas isn't just taking back his pack—he's taking his Queen. "Your fiancé was a placeholder," he whispered, pinning me against the cold stone of his den. "Tonight, you learn why I’m the only one allowed to hear you scream." In this realm of wolves and war, I’m no longer a pawn. I’m the Luna of the Rogues, and the True Alpha has finally come home to claim his crown—and me.

"Three years into our marriage, during which we couldn't conceive a child, my relationship with my husband, Wilhelm, has gone down the drain. However, when I finally had a child, I was hesitant to share the news with him, since he had been treating me less and less like his wife." *Kathryn Reinhardts was married to Wilhelm Reinhardts, one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country. She had become a housewife, enduring the cold violence from her husband and mother-in-law for three long years. After witnessing her husband's infidelity with his college friend, she made the difficult decision to leave him. Eight months later, she gave birth to a pair of twins, but the nurse delivered heartbreaking news: her baby son hadn't survived. Five years later, Kathryn completed her education and returned to her home country with her little daughter. On her first day back, a young boy hugged her leg and called her "Mommy." "Mommy, I finally found you!!" he exclaimed. Kathryn was taken aback—the boy had the same eye color as her. What's more, he was the only son of her ex-husband. The unexpected reunion opened a new chapter in Kathryn's life.

My mother gave birth to a pair of twins. I, the first twin, lived with my grandmother in the countryside since I was little. My twin brother, Felix Carter, lived with our parents during the same period. After I got accepted to a high school in the city, I was finally allowed to live with my parents. I thought I could finally have a taste of the familial love I'd been yearning for. Little did I know that this was the start of my nightmares. My parents and Felix ostracized me all the time, as though I were an outsider. Heck, my status at home wasn't even comparable to that of Felix's pet dog! One day, Felix stuffed a piece of kiwi into my mouth against my will, claiming that he wanted to help me get rid of my allergy toward kiwis. I pleaded with my parents for help with great difficulty, and yet all I received were cold glances from them. "Don't be a wuss! Are we expected to quit eating kiwis because of you?" "You're allergic to kiwis? Ridiculous! You'll get used to them after eating them a few more times!" But what my family didn't know was that severe allergies are actually fatal to the patient.

When Naomi Sullivan married me, she was already ten million dollars in debt. I spent the last five years working three jobs to help her pay off her "debts" while providing for her as well as our son, Shane Lewis. Not once did I ever complain about anything. All along, I firmly believed that my efforts would pay off, and we would eventually lead a good life together. Last week, our company finally secured a massive investment. Naomi and I hugged as we celebrated the occasion. I thought that the hard times were finally over. Today, I ended up seeing Naomi featured in the financial news. Dressed in a formal gown, she was hailed as the sole heiress to a multi-billion-dollar empire. She was shown engaged in an animated conversation with her "investor", Jared Lewis. The news headline read, "Naomi Sullivan Completes Five-Year Adversity Trial, Proves Her Ability to Build from Scratch to the Board of Directors". I trudge home in a daze. When I get there, the five-year-old Shane is playing with the latest limited-edition toy robot. He looks at me with a frosty, distant expression that bears an uncanny resemblance to his mother's. "Mommy told me everything. You failed the trial, Daddy. You care too much about money."

My mom couldn't forget about her first love at all, so she switched me with her first love's son when we were born. Thanks to her, I was forced to suffer during the first 20 years of my life before I finally got to reunite with my actual family and become a rich scion. When it's time for me to choose a wife, my top priority is to find myself a woman with a romantic history as clean as a sheet. Leah Hudson is that very woman. She's a police captain who's fearsome, intimidating, and isn't interested in men at all. But when I confess my feelings to her, she goes bright red in embarrassment. "Melvin, you're the first man I've gotten with, so you must take responsibility for me till the very end." I lap Leah's words up, thinking that I've finally met my true love. That is, until Dexter Caldwell, the fake scion, returns to the country. As I stand outside my new marital home, I witness Leah embracing Dexter while wailing. "Why did you tell me to lie to him? Why did you ask me to marry him? The thing is, Dexter, you're my first love!"

The day my parents brought home an AI daughter, I lost my place in the family. Maddison Matthews was flawless. Gentle, intelligent, and obedient, she was the perfect daughter. Overnight, I became the problem child. Dad stopped hiding his disappointment. Mom compared me to Maddison in everything I did. Even my brother, Bailey, treated me like an embarrassment. "What else do you know how to do besides throwing tantrums and fighting for attention?" The day I finally snapped and shoved Maddison, Mom slapped me so hard my ears rang. "If you were even half as mature as Maddie, I wouldn’t be so exhausted every single day! Go to the Intelligent Excellence Academy and learn properly how to be an obedient daughter!" Then she sent me away. I was forced into a three-year exchange program at the Intelligent Excellence Academy, a place designed to train human children alongside advanced AI models. Three years later, my family finally came to bring me home. They called my name again and again, but I never answered. The director smiled calmly beside them. "Mrs. Matthews," he said softly, "you’ll need to say ‘Power On’. Unit 1314 no longer responds to human names."

I never wanted wealth, power, or the responsibility that goes with it. Making a difference by fighting fires was my dream. That and a pretty girl to love at night. But life didn’t ask me. After struggling through the business world, I finally have a chance to return home to chase my dreams. The girl next door, my best friend’s little sister, was there waiting. And she's all grown up. But she’s not too thrilled to see me back. But I’ll change that. I can’t help but fight for what I know we could be, no matter what it costs me. When I finally start to melt her heart, life calls me back to the city, back to the grind thanks to tragedy. It’s her or my future, and I have no choice in the matter. My father’s company is my only legacy, or is it? A little life is growing inside of her, and that changes the game. My self sacrifice doesn't seem so damn important anymore. I might have been forced into becoming a billion dollar man, but I’ll always be a small town guy at heart. And that pretty girl that stole my heart all those years ago? She's gonna be mine. Like she always has been.