Frames Of Mind Novels & Stories

In my previous life, my sister, Clarissa Smith, and I were adopted at the same time. She chose the Newmans, a prestigious family of scientists, leaving me with an impoverished divorcee. But later on, the Newmans kicked her out, and her reputation was completely ruined. Meanwhile, I'd married rich and had tens of millions of dollars from the government's relocation compensation package. Clarissa couldn't accept how differently our lives turned out, so she stabbed me to death. When my eyes open once more, I find myself alive again. I've gone back in time to the day Clarissa and I were adopted. To my surprise, I can hear her thoughts. [This time, I'm going to be the one who gets rich overnight!] As it turns out, she has been reborn as well. Well, this time around, she can be the one who gets to endure the torment instead.

Her aunt sold her at eighteen… to a ruthless billionaire, Thomas Brooks, to save her dying brother. She lost her baby, her name, and three years of her life to a monster who treated her like she was nothing but a worthless possession bought with money. And on the night she finally broke free from him, she fell into the arms of the one man she was never meant to touch… her stepson, George. One night of reckless, forbidden passion gave her a child she kept a secret, and a shame that haunted her for many years. Now, six years later, Alice Cooper is no longer that desperate girl who begged to be seen. She's the queen of a half-billion-dollar empire, and the city that once crushed her now bows to her feet. But the past catches up to her sooner and faster than she could ever imagine. Thomas is losing money, and his empire is crumbling… and now he comes crawling back to her, begging for help. Her aunt, Samantha gives her an ultimatum… help Thomas rebuild his empire or watch her darkest secret exposed to the world. With threats closing in and the safety of her child hanging on the line, Alice must decide… assist the same people who broke her, to keep her secret buried… or destroy them all, even if it means risking everything she has ever built.

After a two-week business trip, I pushed open the front door. After greeting my in-laws, I dragged my suitcase toward the bedroom. But just as my fingertips were about to touch the doorknob, a string of floating comments appeared before my eyes: [Don't go in! Your husband and your best friend are all over each other in your bed right now! If they find out you've seen them, they'll silence you for good!] I froze in terror. Just as I was about to turn around and run, I suddenly heard my baby's voice from inside my womb: [Mommy, don't believe that! Daddy passed out from low blood sugar while setting up a surprise for you. He sent you a message before he collapsed. Hurry and save him!] In my first life, I was too frightened to go inside. My husband froze to death on a floor covered with roses. My in-laws blamed me for not checking my messages, and in the end, they went mad with grief and pushed me off a building. In my second life, I tremblingly pushed open the door. My best friend instantly drove a knife through my heart. My husband sat on the bed the entire time, a smile on his face. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of the bedroom door once more. The floating comments and my baby's voice appeared at the same time.

On our anniversary, Nina Reid took our daughter—and her assistant, Ray Chapman—out for another "family day." Without me. That was it. I filed for divorce. Right after signing the papers and boxing up my stuff, I heard a buzz from the corner. Old phone. Twelve years old. Buried in a drawer. The screen lit up with a number I almost recognized. Hand shaking, I picked up. A voice I hadn't heard in years. Young. Way too familiar. "Hey, Liam. I need to talk to you."

On New Year's Eve, a message from my best friend, Lily Walton, popped up. [I rented a Maybach for our cats to go back to our hometown. A thousand per person. It has heating and surveillance. Isn't that a great deal?] I glanced at my banking app, where my mortgage had just been deducted. [Forget it. My Mochi isn't a princess. She can't afford such an expensive ride.] The next day, I got a selfie from her—hugging her pet cat inside a Maybach. [Chloe, it's such a shame you didn't come. The owner was nice enough to give me a ride home too.] On New Year's evening, right after I stepped through my front door, a frantic knock came at the door. My best friend's parents stood outside, panic written all over their faces. "Is Lily here? She hasn't come home at all. She said yesterday she was preparing a birthday gift for you and even took four thousand dollars from us." Before I could even recover from the shock, the police arrived. My best friend's last contact… was me.

Midnight. I heard a faint meowing through the window. I was about to have a look when floating words appeared in front of me. [Don't open the window! There isn't a cat outside! It's a serial killer!] [I'm done. How could the side character be so dumb? I can already imagine how tragic her death will be.] [Go and find the villain! He loves you so much! He will surely protect you!] I quickly retracted my hand on the window latch…

My wolf awakened on my eighteenth birthday. Soon after, the Feral Curse tore through the werewolf world. The curse nearly claimed me, but a young Alpha, Lachlan, saved my life. He brought me to his pack. His parents, the Alpha and Luna, took me in. They gave me the best room in the pack house and treated me like the daughter they never had. Lachlan never left my side. He risked catching the curse himself, patiently feeding me potions one sip at a time. His wolf knew. I was his fated mate. I was the envy of the pack. I had an Alpha's total devotion. Then one day, Lachlan knelt before me. In his hands was the Moonstone necklace—the symbol of every Luna who came before me. He held me tight, whispering a promise to show the world that I belonged to him, and him alone. I accepted the necklace. But that night, I twisted his love into a poison. A poison I used to murder his parents and eighteen of their loyal retainers.

After my younger brother died, my parents and grandfather all killed themselves. Each of them died in a different way, but they shared one thing in common: Before their deaths, every one of them had read my brother's suicide note. And in that note, there was only a single sentence. Reporters fought for a chance to interview me. The police interrogated me overnight. Countless people wanted to know what that sentence said. But I never told anyone. Until the tenth anniversary of my brother's death, when I saw a figure standing in front of his grave. At that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. Because I knew my turn had finally come.

My husband was dead. He had saved a girl from drowning, yet he himself perished in the icy river. As I sank into a chasm of grief, the girl's father appeared at my door. He glared at me and demanded, "Where is my daughter's necklace? She was wearing it before she fell into the water!" Rage surged through me, and in the heat of our confrontation, he ended up dead. Then my phone… came alive. "Hide the body. The police are coming. I'll teach you how to dispose of a corpse…"

When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately went to buy abortion pills. When I decided to take the pills, I could hear my unborn son’s heartbeat. [Mom, please don’t abort me! I can bring you fortune!] [My dad is super rich. He loves simping and chasing women.] [He goes after innocent and strong-willed women. He gives away gifts freely, but the women usually would throw them away. I know where these thrown away gifts are!] I thought I must be crazy. I hurriedly swallowed the pills and drank water. [Several hundred grams of gold! The latest handphone! Tens of millions of jewelry! What’s more…] I gagged and spat out the pills into the trashbin next to my feet. “Where are they? Tell me now!"