Guilt-tripping

My husband, Hank, is dead.  On our wedding anniversary, he ventured out in the pouring rain to buy me a cake, only to be hit by a truck. His body was badly mangled in the crash.  My sister-in-law, Lyra, called me a killer, claiming that I did not deserve Hank’s inheritance.  My mother-in-law, Judy, kicked me out of the house.  Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, I often wondered if he would still be alive had I stopped him that day. Eventually, emotions gripped me, and I was diagnosed with cancer.  Judy came to visit me on my deathbed. “You’re an idiot to believe everything!”  She threw a family photo in my face.  The shock and anger were more than I could handle, and I breathed my last.  It turned out that Hank was never dead. He had a child with his old flame.  When I opened my eyes once more, I returned to the day my husband faked his death.

After seven years of marriage, Ava Blackwood finally gets what she’s always longed for: a child. But the joy comes at a devastating cost of her life. Diagnosed with a terminal illness worsened by pregnancy, she faces an impossible choice: save herself or protect her unborn baby. She chooses the baby. Determined to tell her husband, she returns home only to discover a cruel betrayal. Drake Blackwood, the man who never wanted children with her, has made another woman pregnant. Heartbroken and silenced, Ava decides that if her time is short, she will live on her own terms. A bucket list. Limitless spending. No more being the obedient wife. Then… she disappears. Six months later, Drake’s mistress gives birth, while he drowns in guilt over Ava’s absence. Then a photograph surfaces: a woman on life support, clutching a newborn… the child he never knew existed. But the truth falls into the hands of someone who would destroy everything.

Summer Willow, an orphan with no memories of her past, struggles to establish an identity for herself. She moves to New York City, where she meets Ryan and falls in love. Later, Ryan betrays her, causing her to lose every bit of hope she ever had in love. As a result, Summer becomes nonchalant, cold, and emotionally closed off. Her life begins to change when she meets Stephen Jones, a handsome billionaire who brings back the spark in her. He makes her believe in love again and helps her regain her lost identity. Little does Summer know that this same identity will become her biggest hindrance. Stephen Jones, a multimillionaire, was on his way to an important appointment when his car crashed into another vehicle that had taken the wrong lane. The accident triggered a strong sense of déjà vu as he rushed out to rescue the victim himself. The moment Stephen saw Summer, the solution to his long-lasting guilt flashed before his eyes. Could she be the girl he has been searching for?

"How did you do it Odette?" he asked again. Her lips parted as her heart pounded against her breast. What—" she gasped, her voice trembling. “What—?” He moved closer until there wasn't room between them. The warmth of his body pressed against hers, the scent of him—fogged in her mind. Then his mouth came down, his lips beside her ear, his breath on her skin searing. "Just how did you end my brother's life, Odette?”he breathed. Eighteen-year-old Odette Davenport was married to Salvatore Moretti, heir to a powerful empire. Five years later, Salvatore is murdered, and as his widow, Odette is the last person to see him alive. Nico Moretti, Salvatore's brother, returns home determined to uncover the truth. But as his investigation unfolds, Odette wrestles with guilt and a forbidden desire ignited by his presence. Every glance hides a secret, and every kiss could be their last. This is a dark, suspenseful tale of love, loyalty, and deception delves deep into the Moretti family's dark underbelly.

Sophia Blanc has worked hard to fight her demons and make an honest woman from the young girl riddled with guilt over past mistakes. Doing the job she loves the most, working as a nurse in St Peter’s hospital, she wanted nothing more than a quiet life where she could hide from the world and pretend that she wasn’t haunted by memories of her past. Until she met the suave Matt Wolffe. Matt Wolffe, also known as the Wolf of the business world and devourer of hearts was no stranger to the spotlight. It’s no secret that Matt Wolffe wants her…and she wants him too. And as they come together in a storm of desires ghosts of the past threaten to pull them apart. Author's note: Alright readers, you are in for a slow burn because, come on, my characters are not horny rabbits and this is my first CEO style romance so I'm testing the waters. So please support and comment on ways I can improve. Also please vote my book with gems. Thank you.

Jessica Johnson happily accepts to enter into an arranged marriage with Ethan Mitchell, her first love, even when she knows that he feels nothing for her romantically. She dedicates her time and effort for the first few years of their marriage in hopes of getting Ethan to change his mind and finally fall in love with her. Her whole world comes crashing down when he reveals to her that another woman is carrying his child and requests that she leaves their matrimonial home immediately. “I love you, Ethan” Jessica says watching as her words fall on deaf ears. Unknown to him was the positive result of the pregnancy test that Jessica had gotten from the hospital earlier on in the day. Years later, their paths cross again at his mother’s birthday party, where Ethan is surprised to see Jessica with a baby boy that looked like him. “Is he my child,Jess?” Ethan asks, backing Jessica into a corner. “No child of mine will ever have you as a father.” Jessica replied furiously, watching as guilt consumed Ethan.    

After my father died, the illegitimate daughter he had been raising abroad immediately returned to the country to fight me for the estate. Her name was Alma. I was his only legitimate child, and I even had a will on my side. However, I still failed to keep my rightful inheritance. My fiancé Wayne, who could command the entirety of North City with a flick of his wrist, insisted on helping Alma. He stood protectively in front of Alma’s wheelchair and asked me impatiently, “With the money I gave you, you could buy plenty of houses like that. Are you really so heartless? Why would you fight a disabled person over it?” I confronted him, my voice trembling with disbelief. “Fighting? That house is the only thing my mother left me.” In the end, Wayne helped Alma win the lawsuit. He looked at my red, swollen eyes with a trace of guilt and said, “Jocelyn, I’ll make it up to you in the future.” However, I knew then that there was no more future between us.

On the fourth day after my son's death, I decided to secretly dissolve my military marriage with my husband. Before that, I had three days to settle everything for my son. On the first day, I tricked my husband into signing the cremation papers. On the second day, I went to the school and collected the textbooks my son would never get to use. On the third day, I cooked a table full of dishes and begged my husband to celebrate our son's last birthday. He agreed, but soon after claimed he had a mission. Instead, he spent the entire night setting off fireworks with his childhood sweetheart. That night, I cooked. Then, I sat alone before my son's photo and ate all my son's favorite foods. The next day, my husband returned, guilt flickering in his eyes as he handed me a brand-new backpack. He said it was a gift for our child's first day of school. But he didn't know—our child would never have a first day of school.

Five years ago, Elara Vance poured her heart into letters for a boy she had never met letters that kept him alive during his darkest days. But when her closest friend stole her identity, Elara never corrected the lie. That friend, Selene Ward, died of a terminal illness, leaving behind a legacy Elara could never claim. Now married to Mason Lorne the man who once loved her words but believes they belonged to Selene, Elara lives under the shadow of a ghost. Mason’s heart still belongs to the dead, and every act of kindness Elara shows is twisted into proof of her supposed jealousy. When an unexpected encounter with Selene’s grandmother reignites old wounds, Mason’s accusations grow crueler. Pressured by both families for an heir, trapped in a loveless marriage, and silenced by the weight of her own guilt, Elara makes a choice to disappear. But in her absence, she leaves behind the truth. And when Mason finally sees it, regret will be his only companion

At my engagement party, my cousin drugged herself and tearfully begged me to lend her my fiance for one night, so I sent the Eastons' youngest son, who had always had a thing for her, on her way. When Erin woke up and realized it wasn't my fiance, she killed herself out of shame and despair. My fiance didn't blame me; he treated me as he always had. Ridden with guilt, I took care of Erin's mother after her death. But on my wedding day, my groom turned husband had me drugged and threw me to beggars. "Erin suffered like this back then," he said coldly. "You can atone for her pain with that filthy body of yours." And so, on my wedding night, I was violated to death—with a baby in my belly. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to that night when Erin tearfully begged me to give my fiance to her.