Gratitude Expressions

On the day of my son's one-month celebration, my notoriously stingy sister-in-law surprised me with a branded baby bottle. But instead of accepting it, I turned away and gave it to the neighbor's cruel son who had XYY syndrome. In my previous life, I had accepted that bottle with genuine gratitude, using it day and night to feed my son. I never imagined that a month later, in the dead of night, my son would suddenly suffer a heart attack and die in my arms. Strangely enough, the very next day after my son passed, my sister-in-law's sickly child—who had been confined to the neonatal intensive care unit since birth—was miraculously discharged in perfect health. Losing my son shattered me completely. I spent my days drowning in tears. My husband called me a cursed woman, claimed I brought nothing but disaster, and demanded a divorce. Not only that, but he insisted I leave with nothing. When I refused, he and my sister-in-law joined forces and accidentally beat me to death. It wasn't until after I died that I learned the truth. The woman I had thought was my husband's younger sister wasn't his blood relative at all. She had been adopted by his mother years ago to be raised as his future wife. Together, they had plotted to destroy me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day my sister-in-law handed me that baby bottle.

I am heading to my job interview when my close friend, Thomas Lang—the same guy who always cautions me about meddling in other people's business—suddenly throws caution to the wind and sprints toward the wrecked limousine. I instantly realize that Thomas has been reborn, too. In my past life, Thomas and I were the top two graduates of the finance department, both making it to the final round of interviews at a Fortune 500 conglomerate. Yet, on the day of the interview, we suddenly came across the CEO, Ruth Gibson, who had just gotten involved in a car crash. I abandoned the interview to save her, while Thomas hurried off to the interview. In the end, Thomas landed the offer, while I lost my shot at working at the top conglomerate. I received sympathy from everyone around me. However, Ruth sought me out eventually, and in the spirit of profound gratitude, she presented me with an immediate proposal of marriage. I became the man who would marry Thomas' superior, achieving incredible status overnight. Meanwhile, Thomas stayed an ordinary worker, perpetually crushed by impossible metrics and corporate pressure. I was enjoying the heights of my privilege at the annual dinner, standing beside Ruth, while Thomas lurked in the background. He was a miserable face lost among the nameless guests. Consumed by jealousy, he brandished a knife and stabbed me to death right there. I suddenly open my eyes and realize we are both back at this single, pivotal day of Ruth's accident.

LEILANI: I owe my life to Phoenix Baxter, leader of the Sandcastles MC. He'd saved me from my abusive father, gave me a life, gave me a home. I'll forever be indebted to him. Which is why when he propositions me to marry him, I don't refuse. But the Sandcastles MC isn't what it once was, and war rears its ugly head. To protect me, Phoenix places a bodyguard in charge of my welfare. It would've been better if it were someone else. But he choose Mason Vampelt. The one man whose presence does unspeakable things to my body. As the war casts it's shadow over the city, my feelings for Mason develops, and soon we're crossing lines, not giving a damn. I love two men: one out of gratitude, and the other out of my body's devotion. MASON: Leilani and I grew up together in the Sandcastles MC. Once inseparable, we drifted apart as we grew older. Reason being because my boss Phoenix wanted her for a wife. She owes her life to him, as I do mine. But I've seen the way she steals glances my way. Seen the way her body reacts to my presence. We both want the same thing. Each other. Phoenix might've saved my life once, but it's Leilani that gives me the will to keep on living. And I'll have her as mine no matter what.

My partner, Derek Crawford, calls himself a traditional man. On our tenth anniversary, I bought him a pair of his favorite AJ sneakers. Instead, he gifted me a bag of pastries. "Your cake is extremely tiny, and yet it costs you a few dozen dollars! Look at the pastries I got you—not only are they cheap, but they are also huge in quantity! Now this is what I call worth it!" After that, Derek tells me that he'll make it up to me by throwing an engagement party. He has also invited my parents and my relatives to the party. With anticipation brimming in our eyes, we arrive at the restaurant, only to see Derek serving us with store-bought pickles and dinner rolls. "I'm a traditional man, you see. I'm not used to fancy food and foreign cuisines. This, right here, is the basics of a traditional dinner. You don't see patriotic men like me nowadays!" My relatives' expressions change drastically on the spot. Meanwhile, my parents look very mortified. I can only smile awkwardly at them while doing everything I can to stop them from leaving. But as soon as I leave the hotel, I receive a notification from the bank that 200 thousand dollars have been deducted from my account via a supplementary card linked to it. At the same time, Derek's childhood sweetheart, Renee Young, posts a photo of her 12-layered luxurious cake on her social media account. "When I told Derek that I wanted to celebrate my birthday, not only did he buy me the most expensive strawberry cake, but he also reserved a dozen or so tables that are served with the grandest feast! "If your man loves you that much, he won't need any lessons in pampering you! Traditional men definitely know how to love and pamper their queens!" I tighten my grip on my phone. As I look back at Derek, who keeps claiming that he's a traditional man stuck to his traditional ways, I suddenly find it exhausting to continue being in a relationship with him.

I set up a company cafeteria for employees with an abundant meal daily worth 150 dollars per person. Meals are prepared by a world-renowned master chef. Every day, I only ask my employees to contribute a token of one dollar. Instead of gratitude, all I get is their envy of the neighboring company. "I wish we had that. Their healthy lunches cost them nothing, and the company covers everything." "Yeah. Free salads always seem to taste the best." Before long, this chatter spreads through the office, and the new hires carry it into the company's group chat. "Mr. Shaw, can we switch things up? All this rich, heavy food is just too much for us!" A few of the senior employees quickly jump in. "Yes, Mr. Shaw! We're not asking for anything extravagant. We only want something like the healthy lunches the other company gives out for free!" Perfect. They ignore my lavish 150-dollar meals that cost them almost nothing, yet they pine over the neighboring company's modest lunches. I scroll through the chat, feeling nothing but sharp irony. I immediately send a company-wide email. "Attention, everyone! By popular demand, and so you can all experience a truly free lunch, the cafeteria's daily meal is reduced from abundant to simple starting today. "Snacks and fruit options are discontinued and replaced with the same healthy lunch set offered by the neighboring company. The company will cover the full cost. Enjoy your meal!"

Zen is known as the feared leader of the Astral Guardians, a group of Alphas revered as the peacekeepers. His reputation isn't just because he hails from the renowned Silver Luminaries Pack, but also due to his fierce nature and intelligence. Enemies shudder at the thought of facing him, thanks to his exceptional combat skills. He's also a master tactician and strategist. However, beneath his fame lies a dark secret—he is not a natural-born Alpha. Hunter is the sole survivor of an experiment, a fact known only to his adoptive father. Despite his widespread acclaim, questions linger about Zen. People wonder why he remains unbonded, as he is the last child of the Silver Luminaries' leader without a mate. Zen disregards this, believing an artificial Alpha like him is unlikely to form a mate bond. This changes when he meets Aleah De Luna, the granddaughter of his father's friend, who arranges to marry him. From their first meeting, Zen understands why his family chose Aleah—she is weak and wolfless, a total outcast in the Guevarra family. Initially, Zen accepts the marriage to honor his father's wishes and repay his debt of gratitude for raising him. But when he discovers that Aleah is his fated mate and witnesses her near-death experience, Zen cannot bear to see her in danger. Determined to protect her, he vows to reject her as his mate. This decision brings forth the greatest challenge he has ever faced, far more daunting than any battle. Even his Demon Alpha persona cannot withstand the charisma of Aleah.

“You don't belong here, pest,” Alessandro spits, his grip on my hand tightening. I bit my bottom lip, trying not to wince. Trying to suppress the pain shooting up my arm and spreading to the rest of my body. Tears prickled my eyes, but I'll rather eat mud than let them fall. “You're a poor, stinky menace! And I will make life a living hell for you, so long as you still show your face around!” — When eighteen-year-old Cora Williams saves spoilt, rich, arrogant, and bratty Alessandro Beckham's life, she doesn't count on getting rewarded for her heroics. To show his gratitude to her for saving his son's life, Alessandro's father enrolls her in the notorious Royal Elite Academy, the top high school in the country, exclusive to the wealthy and snobby kids of the elite. Although Cora is sad to let go of her old life, and friends, she's coerced by her parents to accept the offer. She knows the rich and the poor don't mix, and intends to lay low until she scales through senior year. But Alessandro Beckham is the king of Royal Elite Academy, and he's made it his personal mission to make her life a living hell for reasons best known to him. Cora has never been a pushover. And she won't start now. She wouldn't let Alessandro belittle her whichever way he pleases. She would fight. But fighting Alessandro might cost her something. Her heart.

Isabella Rossi had it all: a powerful name, a loving family, and a marriage—or so she thought. When she discovers her husband, Marcos Vitale, still pines for his ex, she's willing to grant him his freedom, even if it breaks her heart. But Marcos's gratitude comes in the form of betrayal, drugging and humiliating her before an explosion rips her family apart and leaves her for dead. Six months later, Isabella awakens, unrecognizable, to a world that believes she perished with her family. Stripped of her identity and inheritance, she's offered a lifeline by Lorenzo "Enzo" Nivaro, a magnetic and dangerous figure from a rival family. Enzo proposes a deal: her new face and a chance to reclaim everything, in exchange for two years as his lover. Bound by desperation, Isabella plunges into a world of shadows, undergoing a transformation as complete as the surgery that remade her face. She infiltrates Marcos's company, seducing him and his family, all while Enzo orchestrates their downfall from behind the scenes. But as Isabella gets closer to Marcos, dangerous feelings ignite, blurring the lines between revenge and desire. Meanwhile, Enzo's motives remain shrouded in mystery. Is he a savior or a puppeteer? And what is Sofia, Marcos's scorned ex, planning in the wings? As secrets unravel and betrayals pile up, Isabella discovers a conspiracy that reaches far beyond her family feud, one that could consume them all. Torn between two men, two families, and two lives, Isabella must decide: how much is she willing to sacrifice to reclaim what was stolen? Will she embrace the darkness to exact her revenge, or can she find redemption in a world where love and loyalty are just another game?

🔞Explicit Content🔞 "Suck my c^ck, Rosabella. That’s all you’re good at. A hopeless orphan can only dream of luxury. Keep your filthy mouth out of my affair…use it only to make me cum.” ****** Bella Hale has known suffering her entire life. Orphaned at sixteen, she survives on scraps and desperation. She does whatever it takes not to starve with only little dignity intact. She envies the rich—people who seem immune to hardship and pain. Yet she promised herself that if she ever got her hands on one of them, she would never let go. She was done suffering. Lucian Rodriguez is everything she should despise. A cold, selfish, ruthless billionaire with little conscience and no mercy… a man who knows how to smile for the world while keeping his darkness well hidden. Their worlds collide when Lucian’s four-month-old daughter goes missing… and Bella finds her. Lucian offers no gratitude…and Bella refuses to let the opportunity slip. She demands compensation. Not just money, but security. A lifetime guarantee that she will never be poor again. In return, she will do whatever he wants. Her body. Her life. He can have it all. Bella is taken into his world—strictly as a deal. What she doesn’t realize is that when you make a deal with the devil, you should never expect it to be fair. And she will learn too late that being poor was far better than belonging to Lucian Rodriguez. A deal turns into obsession. Survival into desire. Desire into Hate. Hate into Love. That love and commitment becomes the biggest and worst mistake. Will Bella’s desperate deal destroy her? Or Will she become Lucian’s destruction?

“You're wasting my time!” Dominic yanked the dress off her violently, causing her body to jolt forward. She almost bumped into Dominic, but he quickly dodged her, causing her to stumble and fall onto the floor with a thud. Belladonna cried out in pain as her knees hurt from hitting the floor, as did her hands, which had to support her body abruptly. She writhed in pain, but Dominic just stared at her without any pity. “It hurts. Can you not treat me so harshly?” she pleaded. “It hurts? You’d better endure the pain because you will get more pain after this. Don’t blame me, blame yourself for agreeing to replace Bianca. You’re just an unwanted bride for me. So I will never treat you as my wife!” ************************************ Belladonna Marino was forced to replace her runaway sister on her wedding day, marrying Dominic Costa, the man who was supposed to belong to someone else. She had no choice but to agree. She did it out of gratitude to the family who raised her, never expecting that the price would be her dignity. Dominic never wanted her. He despised her. He humiliated her, tormented her, and reminded her every day that she was nothing more than an unwanted replacement. Living as his wife was hell— until the day his true bride returned, claiming she was finally ready to marry him. Knowing her role was over, Belladonna chose to leave. But what happens when the man who once hated her realizes too late that the woman he broke is the only one he ever loved?