Going Merry Face

Love…. You could lose yourself in it or find yourself. It all depends on you. Jealousy…. It drives one to the edge of madness. It paralyzes the mind, and drains the heart, damaging the soul. It teaches you what it takes to care. That's what their relationship was made up of. His eyes made her shiver with pleasure, it took her to euphoria. That's what she felt whenever she was with him, but not every day was sunshine and rainbows. He made her cry, he made her feel pain. He taught her the real definition of love; pleasure and pain. She liked how cold and rough he could get and he liked how innocent she played. He liked teaching her new things and she liked learning from the best. They'd survive the intoxication of each other. They made it further than they thought they would on the grounds of love, jealousy and pain. "What are you looking at?” he asked looking in the direction she was looking, “So... That's your type, huh?" he whispered in her ear with his hand on her thigh, clearly pissed. Siana moved away slightly from his warm breathe blasting on her face and his hand squeezing her thigh firmly. "Everyone out now!" he shouted then a smile came bursting through it all. She was alone shaking with fear and anxiety. She knew how he'd get whenever he was displeased, she knew the kind of psycho he was. He pulled her up from the chair and pushed her up against the wall, her hands enfolded in his and her breath breaking. He looked down then back up at her with a tiring look on his face and sighed "You know you really drive me crazy." his lips hovering over hers.

After my parents died in a car crash, my cousin stole the compensation money and moved overseas to start a business. My aunt begged me on her knees not to call the police. Then, she locked me in a dark basement for three months. I was close to breaking down and ending my life when Julien Lawson, the neighbor’s son, broke down the basement door and saved me. “Joyce, what they did is unforgivable! They stole the compensation money for your parents’ deaths. You were going to use it to open your own studio! “Marry me. I’ll protect you.” He was the only person who cared about me after my parents died. I was so grateful that I married him and had his child. I worked three jobs during the day to help support the orphanage that Julien ran. At night, I took care of our child and created design sketches. But no matter how hard I tried, none of my work was ever accepted. Even though Julien told me to keep at it, I felt discouraged and thought of giving up on my design career to focus on our family. One day, our child was sick. I went to take over the shift from Julien when I overheard him talking to my aunt on the stairs. “Julien, it’s been ten years. Joyce’s designs are getting better and better. She even passed the first round of the national competition. Are you really not going to tell her about the next round?” my aunt asked. Her voice trembled. Julien said coldly, “For years, I’ve been sending Joyce’s design sketches to Mindy to copy and enter in the competitions or publish as her own. “To help Mindy’s career, I can’t let Joyce move on to the next round. “Joyce has talent. If people notice her, she’ll be a threat to Mindy’s career!”

Samir Kane was the man of my dreams, the man I’ve always wanted. So imagine my joy when he walked into my favorite cafe, went down on one knee, and brought a ring up to my face. I was beyond elated of course. I mean it was a dream come true. Little did I know that it was also going to be my nightmare disguised as a dream. Samir not only roped me into a marriage with him for selfish reasons. However, I’ve yearned for his love and acceptance for years, but he treated me with the opposite and disrespect instead. And after he was fed up, he decided to discard me. He decided I’m no longer worth it, that it’s time we part ways, and his thoughtful gift for me on the night of our five years anniversary were divorce documents. How rich? Because that was all it took for me to venture into the brutal side. Watch out Samir, I’m now on the hunt for your wreckage, and there’s no stopping until I’ve brought you exactly where you once had me.

“Why don’t you get your head out of the gutter and realize that you are just a prop, Nalani? You’re not Daniel’s partner, never have been, and if anyone is going to become his soon, it’s me!” These are the words that Gwen, my husband’s “business friend”, spits at me with colorful disdain painting her face. After seven years of selfless commitment on her part, and lies and manipulation on his, Nalani takes the proverbial fatal blow when Daniel betrays her trust and soils their sacred vows to each other. This time, she is unforgiving, leaving without looking back, but Daniel, realizing his mistake, wants her back. Obsessed with winning Nalani again, no matter the cost, Daniel crosses every moral line visible to man, but can she still reject him, and watch as he shatters the way she did under him?

A year into our marriage, Timothy Grant suddenly turns abstinent. He builds a private chapel in the villa and always carries a rosary with him. No matter how I tease or tempt him, he stays cold and distant. My seduction attempts don't move him. One night, I stand outside the bathroom door and watch as he releases himself to a photo of another woman. So, Timothy isn't heartless. His heart just doesn't beat for me. I trick him into signing the divorce papers and vanish from his world completely. And yet, I later hear that he is going mad searching for me! The next time we meet is at his uncle's wedding. I wear a white wedding gown, and he looks at me with tear-filled eyes. He just can't bring himself to think of me as his aunt!

The most powerful and wealthiest family of Delta City is furious that an ordinary maid hit their only heir . At the end, Diana ends up behind bars just simply because she tried to protect her self from being molested. Fast forward, Three years later, she is a free woman but finds out that the Wakin's family who sent her to Prison back then had subdued her parents into a life of slavery. She won't let things slide. Luckily, with the new found abilities and identity, she will embark on a journey of "losers counterattack" accompanied by handsome Jason. Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, she swore to make everyone pay for the misdeeds they had done to her! Who would think this would enrage the most powerful family?

I loved eating cakes. My dad would bring me one every day after work, and my mom bought a full set of oven and baking tools, patiently learning how to bake them for me. I once thought I was the happiest little princess in the world until the day my parents divorced. The person who came to pick up my dad turned out to be the bakery owner. My mom turned to me, growling, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't asked for cakes every day, your dad never would've cheated!" She stretched out her hands, covered in burn scars, and screamed hysterically, "I slaved away making cakes for you, and these hands have never healed since. What did you do? You both think the stuff from outside is so much better!" She grabbed a baking sheet and smacked me hard with it. I bit my lip, not daring to make a sound. That night, she brought home a little girl. Ignoring the pain all over my body, I begged for her forgiveness. "Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't throw me away. I swear I'll never eat another cake!" She slapped me across the face, but that wasn't enough to quench her anger. She tossed me into the big oven. "I'm not your mom! You love cakes so much? Stay in there and reflect on what you've done! You and your worthless dad both deserve to die!" After she slammed the door and stormed out, the little girl skipped over to the oven, grinning smugly as she hit the switch. "From now on, your mom is gonna be mine!" The oven kicked on, and the temperature began to rise. I smiled bitterly. At least this way, my mom could finally be happy.

Ah… Nothing like getting cheated on at a birthday party they personally invited and drove me to, only to get hooked up with my best friend and fight every day to stay alive. Oh, and the icing on the bright blue birthday cake?... my ex-boyfriend was sucking face with the girl he cheated on me with… patient zero… go figure. Now there are zombies everywhere. Buckle up this is going to be a bloody ride.

As I'm unable to get a ticket for my return trip after the Thanksgiving holiday, I specifically booked a first-class seat home. Just as I find my seat, I see an unruly child jumping around on it. I patiently smile and say, "Kid, this is my seat. Where is your seat?" He makes a face at me. "It's mine now, old hag!" I grab him by the collar of his shirt, wanting to lift him out of the seat. At that moment, a woman's piercing voice sounds behind me. "What are you doing? Let go of my son!" I release my grip and say as gently as possible, "Please control your child. This is my seat." Suddenly, she raises her voice. "He's just a child! Can't you, as an adult, give way to him? You're young and dressed decently. How can you have no compassion at all?" I'm so angered by this distorted reasoning that I laugh. "If you're so compassionate, why didn't you spend the money to buy your child a first-class seat?"

Zhao Yuan Rui, had everything and still has everything but feels as though he has nothing ever since his car accident two years ago which left him paralyzed. He meets the flamboyant Liu Zhi Rou who changes his life in the most uncommon manner. Liu Zhi Rou, an angel stripped of her wings at a young age, between all humans drops by in his hospital room with her silly antics. Learning of each other's pasts and hardships, they work together for the betterment of the other. Follow the two as they venture into the life of a married couple and face all the obstacles ahead of them with an adopted bubble that adds to their adventure. Art by: Pen Guevarra