Grateful Dead Blues For Allah

After three years of secretly dating my boyfriend, I finally called my mom. "Mom, I've decided—I'm coming home to run the family business." She practically squealed through the phone. "That's such good news! But... what about your boyfriend?" I stood at the door, took a breath, and said, "Don't worry. In ten days, he's history."

For someone like Isabella Evans, a one night stand was never in the books. But her entire life changed on her wedding day, when she finds her husband-to-be, cheating with his secretary. After getting her heart broken, she retires to a bar where she sleeps with a stranger before leaving town the next day, only to discover in a few weeks, that she was pregnant. Seven years later, she had birthed twins for a man she was sure she would never see again, but fate brings her back to her hometown where she settles for a job with a very successful hotel. What happens when she finds out Leonardo, the most powerful billionaire in Norman is her boss, and even worse, that the reason her heart pounded each time she saw him was because he was the man she knew a few years back—the father of her kids. Even further complicating things was Colton, the man she was supposed to marry then. Now pursued by two men, Isabella is faced with the toughest decisions. When would Leonardo recognize her and in fact realize he has children of his own? How would Colton face such reality? And alas, who would she choose—the father of her kids, or her first love?

I always get what I want. Every time. But not with her. The beautiful woman my father forced on me through our billion-dollar firm has curves that make me ache. Never in my short life did I imagine falling for her. Office romances are forbidden in my company. But she’s a rule breaker. I guess I am too, but no one knows that side of me. This single mother with brilliant business sense has a side hustle and still kicks ass at my firm daily. There’s no way in hell she’s giving in. No matter what I try. Not even when Valentine’s rolls around. And I pull out all the stops. Her denial has me needing her like I’ve never needed anyone else. Where this girl is concerned, I’m not asking for a friend. I’m asking for me. For today. Tomorrow. Forever.

On the first day of classes, my roommate gives me a crystal bracelet as a welcome gift. Without thinking, I quickly adorn it around her mother's wrist. In my past life, my roommate wanted to be a social butterfly. She was determined to have a hundred boyfriends by the time she graduated. But no matter how reckless she was, she never ended up conceiving. On the other hand, I kept getting pregnant and having countless miscarriages. But unlike her, I had never been in a relationship. The entire university mocked me, labeling me promiscuous and shameless. During my 66th miscarriage, I died on the operating table from severe bleeding. It was only after death that I realized the crystal bracelet my roommate gave me had somehow linked our wombs together. As soon as I opened my eyes, I realized I had gone back to the first day of the semester.

"I swear on everything I have, Leylla Monroe... You won't hurt me like this. I won't let you," Vincent said, his voice shaking with anger. She smiled, calm and daring. "It's already happening. You are already having a bittersweet taste of your own medicine, Doctor Vincent De'Lucca." "It will stop!" he shouted, as if trying to believe his own words. "I will stop you and my father, no matter what it takes." He stepped closer, his eyes burning. "And if I can't stop it... I would rather die than have you as my stepmother!" Leylla let out a quiet laugh. It was soft, but cold. Then, she gave him the same look she wore the day she caught him sleeping with her best and only friend. Her voice dropped, sharp and icy. "If that happens, Vincent, I will gladly descend your coffin into the ground myself." _____________________________________________________________________ He had never truly believed in her. Perhaps, never really loved her as he claimed. Then he cheated, crushing her heart completely. Lost and broken, Leylla ran into a stranger in the hospital parking lot. One mistake led to a night of wild passion. But the morning after... She discovered that the man she had slept with was none other than her ex's father and the senior surgeon at the hospital. Now her ex would rather die than see her become his stepmother. But his father is ready to lose everything... just to have her. A love once sweet... now poisoned. Two lovers... now enemies. Sweet promises... turned into cruel threats. And threats? They are turning real, one by one. And finally... What happens when revenge tastes better than love?

I was the son of the wealthiest man in Capital City, but I had never enjoyed the flattery and fake smiles that came with that title. All I had ever wanted was a normal life. Now that I was pushing twenty-eight and still single, my mom finally lost her patience. She gave me an ultimatum: go on a blind date or she’d disown me. On my way to the date, I passed by a luxury boutique and spotted a watch that immediately caught my eye. I was just about to pay for it when, out of nowhere, a man barged in from behind and slapped a black card down on the counter. “I’ll take this watch. Wrap it up for me,” he said. I stayed calm and said politely, “Sir, I saw this watch first.” However, he just scoffed and snapped back, full of arrogance, “A broke nobody like you can look but not afford it. Get lost. I’m the assistant to Ms. Jackson, the CEO of Jackson Group. In this city, if I want something, no one will fight me for it.” Ms. Jackson? Isn’t that the exact woman I was supposed to be meeting for the blind date? Without another word, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. “Selena,” I said calmly, “do you know your assistant is out here throwing your name around to bully people?”

"Get this woman out of here; I don't want to see her face ever again!" With those words, the warmth I once saw in my husband's eyes has gone. ***** Faking her death, Clara decided to escape her city while pregnant. She chooses to leave everything about her billionaire husband, James Morgan, behind after realizing that the man she thought would eventually love her was only growing to hate her even more. But, what if fate reunites them again? Clara with her new successful life and James with his ex-lover who is now his wife. Strangely, seeing Clara with another man sparked jealousy he never knew he had, and James wanted her back. But will Clara be willing to return to his arms after all the pain he gave? And after being faced with the option to choose James' brother instead?

In my previous life, I had been suffering from a terminal illness when I won the lottery.  To my shock, Mommy advised me to forgo treatment and leave the winnings to my younger brother, David, to use for his marriage.  I refused to become an accessory to his future, so, behind my parents’ backs, I donated every bit of it to an orphanage.  When they found out, they were furious. They called me a heartless, ungrateful wretch.  After severing ties with me, they abandoned me at the hospital. On David's birthday, they gathered as a family and celebrated him while I was left to die in the hospital, utterly alone. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I had won the lottery.  Recalling the pain and betrayal of my past life, I resolved to leave my parents that very day.  But to my surprise, when I returned home, they had completely changed.  They doted on me and showered me with affection.

"We are not related by blood, there is nothing wrong in what we are doing." He assured her. "What if Dad and Mom find out?" She asked. "That's why we have to keep it a secret," he said, caressing her cheeks as their lips locked. Camilla falls in love with her stepbrother, Andrew who is one year older than her. He is twenty-one years old while she is twenty. Everything about him drives her crazy. Things seem to be perfect as their little secret is kept hidden not until Derek, Andrew's best friend, gets their shady acts on tape and threatens her with it. Is it advisable to screw two best friends? Will Andrew believe she was only doing him a favor?

My dormmate falls in the dorm and sends the rest of us the hospital bill. She wants us to compensate her. "I only fell because you guys left a puddle of water at the door. It's only right that you compensate me, don't you think? It's not much—you each just have to give me a thousand dollars to cover the checkup, medication, transport, the classes I missed, and the mental distress I suffered." I exchange looks with my two other dormmates. All three of us politely decline. That's when she goes berserk. She screeches threateningly, "Do you know who my father is? I'll make sure you guys can't graduate if you don't compensate me!"