Hard Work Paid Off

After I bought my new home outright, my relatives organized a housewarming party to celebrate. During dinner, my nephew Leo suddenly said, “You’re just a spinster living alone in a huge apartment. What do you need all that space for? I happen to be getting married soon. That’s a huge deal. You should transfer the place to me. I’ll even cover the transfer fee.” I was stunned. “Are you out of your mind?” His mother Linda said, “How can you be so ungrateful? Him using your place for his newlywed life is doing you a favor. It’ll bring you good luck! Other people would jump at the chance!” The son and mother were united against me. “Anyway, tomorrow’s a great day. Grab the property deed and come with us to transfer ownership!” I rejected them without hesitation and called them crazy. Who knew they would get so furious that they would storm into my brand-new apartment and go on a rampage, smashing everything in sight. They even said smugly, “We need to show you our family doesn’t get pushed around! Go ahead and call the police! What proof do you even have that it was us?” What they did not know was that I had installed surveillance cameras on the day I moved in.

Blanche Lucille Emerson, a relentless and calculating Captain haunted by the loss of her wife, Venus, in a mysterious accident. Now driven by a thirst for vengeance, Blanche navigates a world of secrets, betrayal, and political machinations as she digs into the layers of deceit that surround her family's powerful pharmaceutical empire. Alongside her, Yama Laine, a trusted ally, and Cessair, her estranged sister, reveal their own hidden agendas. Blanche uncovers a vast conspiracy linked to General Grey and an underground organization known as the Black Spectre, which her father, Silas Grey, once controlled. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that not only her wife’s death but also her parents' and countless others' were orchestrated to protect a dark secret connected to her family. As Blanche takes calculated risks and enlists Yama’s help, her plan teeters between survival and self-destruction. Along the way, her encounters with spies like Aracelli and the revelation of her sister Cessair’s resentment deepen the conflict. Old alliances crumble, as personal motivations clash, and long-buried truths about her family and its ties to the Black Market come to light. All the while, Blanche's mind is torn between her mission and her lingering love for Venus. With a final showdown on the horizon, the question remains: Can Blanche take down the enemy and clear her family’s name, or will the weight of the past bury her alive? Catch-22: To Die is To Live Hard is a story of revenge, loyalty, and the heavy price of uncovering the truth.

My husband's first love jumped to her death due to depression and landed right on me as I was passing by. I was rendered unconscious on the spot and subsequently rushed to the ICU. However, my orthopedic surgeon husband stayed by his first love's side to comfort her over her minor scratches. He even refused to sign my Critical Care Notification. "Whoever joined her charade can get lost along with her! Come to me when she's really dead!" he said. It wasn't until he received a death certificate that he realized in horror—the deceased's information was identical to mine.

On my wedding day, my groom's sister, Nadia Lawson, wears an elaborate ball gown and comes on stage to snatch the emcee's microphone. Before all the guests, she arrogantly says to me, "Can't you see the princess is here? Why didn't you curtsy and greet me? You deserve to be punished! Get on your knees and prostrate yourself before me as an apology!" My expression sours at her insolence. I turn around only to see the indulgent expressions on her parents' faces. The groom, Bowen Lawson, says dotingly, "We spoiled Nad silly since she was a child. You are her sister-in-law now. Don't make things hard for her." I am so mad that I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. The clown thinks she's a princess, asking me to kneel before her? Ridiculous.

My boy friend Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, is losing her hair from chemotherapy. So, he orders me to cut mine off and make her a wig. "Julia's allergic to synthetic wigs. You've been growing your hair for ten years—it's perfect." I refuse, but his friends tie me down. Someone shaves my head to the scalp, buzzing through my thick, glossy hair until nothing's left but a butchered mess. Julia sits in her wheelchair and laughs, saying I look like a toad. Caleb smiles and nods in agreement. He adds with a chuckle, "It's just some hair. Was that really necessary?" But back when I was bullied for having uneven, choppy short hair for six straight years, it was he who stood in front of me. He had his arms spread wide as he shielded me from harm. Now he's the one wielding the blade. One by one, their little circle chimes in. They tell me not to hold a grudge against someone who's sick. Caleb snaps impatiently, "Stop trying to talk sense into her. She can get lost! Did you see that fit she threw over a few strands of hair? It's not like they won't grow back." I turn around and walk away. I never look back. Later, I hear that Caleb begs for my forgiveness by kneeling his way up 9000 steps until his knees are ruined.

Selena's life changed for the worse when her boyfriend, aunt, and cousin joined together to damage her position among the elite and take away her chance to become the CEO of her father's company. When they succeeded in ripping her world apart, Selena vowed to have her revenge one way or the other.Then she meets an alpha as stubborn as she is and accidentally becomes his mate.Is he the help she needs to get her payback or will he become another pain in her neck?"So what do you plan to do with them?" Gabriel asked."I want them all to pay with their wealth, happiness, and bodies!" Selena answered in tears, but Gabriel understood the hate in her words, and he loved it. Gabriel was a bit worried that the things he had planned for the Adler family may affect Selena's emotions negatively. But since he knew that they were now on the same page, he did not intend to hold back on the punishment that he originally planned for each of them. "Thank you for trusting and telling me. Since you are now my omega, your wish is my command.""Wait, what do you mean?" Gabriel did not answer. He stood up from his seat, approached Selena, and gently kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room.

After an unexpected pregnancy, Silas Shaw, who had always avoided the topic of marriage, suddenly proposed to me. Overjoyed, I readily accepted. However, on the day of the wedding, I stumbled upon an unexpected conversation between him and his friends. "Are you really going to marry Chaldene just because of your child with Nora?" one of them asked. Silas was visibly irritated and full of disdain as he responded, "It's all because of my mother. She kept saying that Nora's family background wasn't good enough.” "If it weren't to give my child with Nora a better status, why on earth would I marry Chaldene?” "You have no idea how boring a woman like her is in bed. I got tired of her after sleeping with her twice."

Elara Robertson is caught in a dangerous game after her father gives her away–as payment for his debt. She finds herself tangled up with Marco De Luca, a cold-hearted mafia boss. Just when everything seems dark, she finds a bit of light in Léo, the Chief chef who seems to understand her. But everything changes on one crazy night, forcing Elara into a marriage with Marco that feels loveless and suffocating. She’s left feeling trapped and tormented. Now, Elara faces a tough choice: will she find the strength to break free and reclaim her happiness, or will she become just another victim of Marco De Luca?

For years, Erin has grappled with guilt since her high school classmate passed away. Under the influence of the friends she trusted, Daryl faced challenges that resulted in his tragic demise. Seven years later, Erin did not expect that fate would punish her further. In her stepfather's will, he decided that all their wealth would go to the Arvesso family, the same family that had lost a member before. Erin now found herself caught up in this arrangement. Perhaps that was her punishment—to be the wife of Orion, someone who harbored intense resentment towards her. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.

I took a bullet for my boyfriend, Leo. When I woke up, I decided to play a little game. I told him I had amnesia. I wanted to see what he'd do. Instead, I saw a flash of excitement in his eyes. Next thing I know, he brings in his cousin. Dante. The Don of the family. "This is your fiancé, Dante. You've been engaged for two years." Dante. The man who supposedly hated me. Now he was staring at me like I was his whole world. "Yes," he said. "I'm your fiancé." Fine. I'll play along. I need to know what game Leo is playing. That night, I saw it. Security footage in Dante's mansion. Leo, in bed with another woman. He kissed her like he was starving. Pushed inside her. And he talked trash about me. "Let my cousin watch Bella for a while. She's so damn needy. You're what I really need, Scarlett." My heart shattered. He pawned me off on another man. Just so he could screw around. Fine. Two can play at that game. I'll get myself a new fiancé. I put on the wedding dress. I kissed Dante—a deep, devouring kiss, right in front of Leo. And that's when he finally broke. He lost his mind. Told me he was wrong and begged me to come back.