Guilt-tripping

“Get away from me,” Aria said, her voice unsteady. Aston didn’t move away. No, he leaned in, the blade she held against his neck piercing through just enough to draw a thin line of red. He smiled. “Careful, my lady,” he murmured. “Your hands are shaking.” Her grip tightened on the hilt. “Now look at him,” Aston continued softly. “Look at your son… and tell me whose eyes he has.” There was absolute silence. “Your stepbrother’s?” His smile sharpened. “Or the man that claimed you that night?” ~ Five years ago, all Aria wanted was for her stepbrother, Liam, to say “take my hand” and defend her. Instead she woke up in his bed; drugged, disgraced, and left to carry the blame and the label of a ‘whore’. Now she’s back with a child, but to regain her reputation, she has to marry Aston Beaumont, a ghost with a million layers, a murderer, and the man about to betray her grandfather. It should have been simple. Save her grandfather. Restore her reputation. Then leave. That is, until her stepbrother returns, not with guilt or shame, but with obsession, dangerously wanting her back like he never let her go. And the more he pushes, the more dangerous Aston becomes. Because Aston Beaumont doesn’t chase. He takes.

My husband brings a pregnant Meryl Cleat home and lies to me, claiming that she's his stepmother. I'm wholly against the idea, but she says, "The children will call you their mother when they're born, so you don't have to go through the pain of childbirth. Think about how lucky you are, experiencing motherhood without the suffering!" I demand a divorce in the heat of the moment; Meryl is so infuriated by this that she faces labor complications and later dies. Out of guilt, I become a stay-at-home mother to care for her two super male kids. Yet they scaled me with boiling water and blind me in one eye. My health deteriorates under their intense torment, and I'm diagnosed with uremia. That's when I accidentally discover Meryl isn't my stepmother—she's my husband's mistress! I'm in despair when I return home. To make matters worse, I catch her—when she's supposed to be dead—and my husband in bed together. Her two super male sons ultimately stab me to death. When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the day she fakes her death!

"You will stay far away from me. Is that clear?" He seethed. "Crystal. At least, I can fuck other men without worrying about how you'd feel." His fists banged on either sides of my face, causing me to gasp, wide-eyed. "Do that and live with the guilt of their blood in your pretty hands." ~~~~~~~~~~ No one dares to bully the Mob Boss. Well, no one except Liliya Orlov. Mob Boss, Dice Rexroth is back to take revenge and he plans to hit her where it would hurt the most. Being as ruthless and cold as he is, he intends to watch her crumble with sadness before his eyes and beg, just like she had done to him in the past. Liya's greatest fear is a loveless marriage, as her parents' evergreen relationship had caused her to be full of expectations for her love life. Little does she know, that the parents she looked up to, would sell her off to a man who was hellbent on being her nightmare—all because of a stupid bet. What happens when a one night stand starts the duel? How well does Dice's revenge play out? Too well for his own good, or too bad for her own good?

Hidden Mistakes is a heartwarming tale of love, trust, and forgiveness. Mia, a successful businesswoman, had her heart shattered by her fiancé, David, who secretly married someone else. After discovering she was pregnant with David's child, Mia was forced to make a difficult decision. Later, she finds love with her business associate, Derek, and becomes pregnant again, but keeps her secret hidden. Years later, Mia and Derek reconnect and feel an intense attraction to each other. But Mia's hidden mistakes threaten to destroy their newfound love. When Derek discovers the truth, he feels betrayed and struggles to come to terms with his newfound fatherhood. Mia must navigate her own feelings of guilt and shame for keeping the secret. As their relationship blossoms, Derek proves his love and commitment to Mia and their daughter. But Mia is hesitant, unsure if she can trust Derek to be a committed father and partner. Meanwhile, David and Mia's co-parenting relationship becomes strained due to their unresolved past. Despite the challenges they faced, Derek proves his love and commitment to Mia and their daughter, and they start a new life together, raising their child as a family. But secrets have a way of coming out, and Mia's past mistakes threaten to ruin everything. Will they find forgiveness and second chances? Find out in Hidden Mistakes

BLURB Disowned for choosing his passion over the life his foster parents planned for him, Damian is left with nothing but his talent and a gnawing fear that it won’t be enough. When a friend offers him a place to stay in his father’s extravagant mansion, Damian allows himself to hope—just a little—that this might be his way back on his feet. Then he meets Nickolai. Nickolai is powerful, attentive, and unsettling in the way he sees straight through Damian’s defenses. He offers help, connections, a future Damian has only ever dreamed of—but the price is intimacy Damian isn’t sure he’s ready to give. The line between opportunity and desire blurs, and loneliness makes the choice harder to refuse. Caught between wanting more and wanting him, Damian gives in. What starts as an agreement slowly turns into something deeper, more dangerous. Unspoken feelings linger, guilt settles in, and a secret from their shared past—one Damian has tried desperately to forget—threatens to surface. As attraction grows and the stakes rise, Damian must decide how much of himself he’s willing to lose for love, ambition, and survival. Because some secrets don’t just ruin careers… they break people.

On our third anniversary, the restaurant my wife, Selena Sander, and I frequent is reserved by her twisted first love, Shane Johnson. He tramples over the rose petals that are scattered all over the floor while making his way toward our table. Then, he slaps a pregnancy report onto the table. "Three years ago, I personally tattooed a rose on Selena's abdomen. I even made a vow with her, saying that she cannot give birth to your child until I find someone I love more than her." As Shane points at the name shown on the pregnancy report, he flashes me a cruel smile. "Now, I've found my true love. That's why I came to inform Selena that our vow can now be broken." The bitterness that I tasted from the countless contraceptives that I've taken over the past three years suddenly floods my mouth. I then turn to look at Selena. There's no trace of guilt shown on her expression despite having gotten exposed by Shane. Instead, she just looks at me coldly. "You heard him, right?" she utters. "We can have a child together now." At that moment, I feel like strangling her more than anything else in the world.

Natasia Gonzales and Chad Santos were three years happily married… supposedly happy married but this is not the case now. One day Chad heartlessly announced that he no longer loved Natasia and that he found someone new. Without second thought he left her on the same day when Natasia needed him the most… on the day when she found out that she was terminally ill. Wishing to be with her husband again before she dies, she came out of a contract for them to live as husband and wife again for a month in exchange of her permission for a divorce of their marriage. But even before a month ended, Chad realized that he still loved his wife, Natasia. However, Natasia already made up her mind to leave him after the contract expired. When the day came, when Chad woke up without Natasia on his side, he was devastated. Moreover, when he found out that Jasmine, the woman that he chose over his loving wife, was cheating on him and the baby in her womb was not his. Full of regrets, hatred and guilt, Chad destroyed himself. Until one day, Vince, Natasia's brother, reached out to him. And his lifeless hope ignited when he met his very own child. But, where is Natasia? Where is his beloved wife?

Celestine “Celine” Navarro has it all—wealth, influence, and a last name tied to a billion-peso coffee empire. But as the heiress of Navarro Coffee, her life feels like a gilded cage of boardrooms, family expectations, and insincere suitors. Longing for freedom, she disguises herself as an ordinary barista in one of her own cafés, determined to live a life where no one knows her name. That’s when she meets Liam Reyes, a talented but debt-stricken architect whose quiet intensity hides a storm of guilt and desperation. To him, Celine is just the clumsy new barista who can barely tame an espresso machine—but her wit and warmth begin to chip away at his walls. For the first time, Celine feels truly seen, not as an heiress but as a woman. But Liam carries a dangerous secret. Crushed under debts and blackmailed by Navarro Coffee’s fiercest rivals, he is forced into sabotage—stealing files and betraying the very company Celine is destined to inherit. What starts as banter over coffee turns into a fragile romance built on lies, one that teeters on collapse the moment truths spill over. When betrayal is uncovered and loyalties tested, Celine and Liam must face an impossible choice: protect the empire and the people they love, or risk everything for a love that was never meant to survive. A story of hidden identities, sabotage, and a love as intoxicating—and as dangerous—as the richest brew.

Adrian Vale is a well known and respected CEO, recognized for his excellent leadership skills , strict discipline, and picture-perfect public persona. Pressured and emotionally blackmailed by his ailing mother, he agrees to get married out of guilt, not love. However one, reckless night at a club changes everything. As he found out, he had spent the night with his future wife’s step brother! He swears to bury the secret but a pregnant man would not be the easiest thing to hide. Adrain suffered a rare genetic disorder which caused a gestational sac to carry a baby! Adrian was pregnant! With his future brother-in-law’s child. A little moment of vulnerability brings the secrets to light, his marriage falls apart, the press makes a big deal out of it, his mom cuts him off, and the father of the baby wants Adrian to terminate the pregnancy but Adrian refuses. He chooses the baby. Betrayal tears his family apart. His empire starts to fall apart and his life becomes endangered, the second he birthed this son through a high risk surgery. What happens when blood is needed to save Adrian’s life bu only one person can give it. Will Adrian accept this person’s help? Can love really blossom from scandal, self-sacrifice, and a truth that just won't stay buried?

"How much do you want?" Pagkakuwa'y saad ko. Kay bilis niyang napalingon sa akin muli ay masama niya akong tinignan. "Hindi ako mukhang pera!" I scoffed again. "Hindi nga ba? E, anong pinunta mo rito? 'Di ba sabi mo hindi ka papayag na 'di ko panagutan ang virginity mo? Kung ayaw mo ng pera what the hell are you here for? Nag-iskandalo ka pa talaga." Napangisi ako ng magkaroon ng idea. Puno ng panghuhusga ko siyang tinitigan. "Oh, don't tell me you want me to marry you instead because I was your first?" Nakita ko ang guilt sa mga mata niya. Hindi siya muling nakapagsalita. "And you thought just because nakuha ko virginity mo I am oblige to marry you? Oo nga naman! Kung pakakasalan kita mas malaki nga makukuha mo dala dala mo pa ang apelyido kong Montefalco." Bahagya akong natawa sa isipin. "You're just hallucinating Ms. Suarez! You're not even an inch to the woman I love."