Heartbeat Picture

In my tenth year of marriage, my old childhood friend, Joshua Sears, posts a photo on social media. Both Joshua and my wife, Sabrina Lawson, are hugging his son, Andy Sears, and my daughter, Tiana Jenkins, in it. The four of them look very close to each other. The caption accompanying the post says, "Blessed to have the perfect son and daughter." I leave a comment below the post, saying, "Looking good together." A few seconds later, the post is deleted. The next morning, Sabrina rushes home and yells at me. "Ashton Jenkins! Joshua was finally feeling better for once. Why did you have to trigger him again?" Tiana shoves me hard and snaps in an accusatory tone, "It's all your fault that Andy's crying now!" I take out a copy of the divorce agreement and slam it down before them. "Yes, it's all my fault. That's why I'm stepping out of the picture now. Then, the four of you can form the wholesome family you've always wanted."

Community Service. Two words I should be thankful for, but I’m not. I resent the hours it’s away from building my business. When they push the little girl into the room, her crazy curls barely held back by the barrette in her hair, and studious glasses on her face, I can tell she’s scared. Something inside of me breaks, and I want this girl to feel wanted again. What I’m unprepared for is meeting her mom. The second our hands touch, there are fireworks, bright lights, and a picture of the future I could one day have. The future I’ve never allowed myself to wish for. Community service becomes more than a chore. In the months that follow, I realize they’re just like me: they’ve been abandoned, left behind by the world, forgotten by those who should love them. Thanks to the one last hope in both our lives - we found the light in the darkness we’d been searching for.Trick is created by Laramie Briscoe, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

In my second year running the company, my high school class monitor suddenly started tagging me nonstop in the group chat. [Alice, Vivian was only joking with you back then. Why won't you come to her party? Are you trying to make her feel guilty?] I didn't understand what was going on. Only after reading the messages did I realize that our class beauty, Vivian Spencer, had recently found her biological parents—and today, she had thrown a party to announce it to the world. Me: [I'm busy.] I had no intention of attending a party hosted by someone who used to bully me. But my answer didn't shut them up. Instead, it stirred up even more absurd speculation. [Don't tell me you're doing some kind of labor job and can't take leave?] [We're all former classmates. If you show up, I'll give you sixty dollars. That should cover two days of your salary.] Vivian chimed in as well. [Alice, it was just a joke back then. And I'd already dropped out by then. Why can't you let it go?] I stared at her message for a long moment before typing: [Only trash would call bullying a joke.] The group exploded instantly. [Vivian's no trash! She's a wealthy heiress. She's not even in the same league as you. Poor people really love to nitpick.] Vivian, ever the hypocrite, tried to smooth things over. [No matter what, today marks a new beginning for me. I hope you'll come to witness it. [We're classmates, after all. I don't hold it against you for forcing me to drop out. If you're short on money, I can even ask my dad to arrange a job for you.] Then she sent a screenshot of her chat with her father. When I saw her father's profile picture, I froze. Wasn't that the same profile picture as my freeloading dad? But I look seventy percent like my mom—it's impossible for me to be a fake daughter. And Vivian was two months younger than me. I let out a laugh. "Alright, I'll definitely attend your recognition party."

I was about to confess to my online chat partner in person when a barrage of comments suddenly flashed across my mind. [Don't bother. Jedediah is avoiding her right now. He's regretting ever mixing her up with someone else.] [It's all her fault for using a profile picture so similar to Georgia's. Otherwise, Jedediah wouldn't have gotten confused.] [It's annoying to think that when Jedediah lost a game, it was the supporting role, Monica, who comforted him. All those sweet words he said were meant for the female lead, Georgia.] [Jedediah is grossed out by it, too. Georgia only added him as a friend yesterday. It's so frustrating.] [Monica is a bane!] Dazed, I ran into Jedediah Merritt, who had just finished playing basketball. He quickly averted his gaze, but I moved around him, shoving the love letter into his roommate's hands. Online chat partner? I had more than one, sending my goodnight voice messages to several people every night.

Ryan, an outstanding police officer with the highest criminal arrest rate in the city. He is kind toward the innocent but cruel and violent to the criminal. There is no pity for those who oppressed the weak. This is a typical system and transmigration story, but, rather than meet truck-san, he is killed by a serial killer he has chased for years. Join his journey on world hopping with his snobbish system to resurrect back into his original world and apprehend the serial killer. Well, due to his good luck anyway, he meets the serial killer's reincarnation in every world he went into and continuing the game of cat and mouse between them. "Change the cannon fodder's fate? Who cares about that! As long as I can catch him by my own hands, I'll even become the devil himself!" (What rotten luck. I got a rather peculiar host this time -Sigh- Host! You need to finish your mission at least! Grab some points, damn it!) This is a work of fiction and purely comes from the writer's imagination. And the cover picture is not mine. Credit to the real owner.

"I swear I will kill you, Darkaldie Halcremide!" She swore, hatred in every word she uttered. "And I will find every attempt pleasurable, Astra." * Astra, picture perfect, a young priestess so perfect that her position as next head priestess was certain. Certain until he crashed into her life, Darkaldie Halcremide. He is her downfall. Her ruin. Crushing her pack and usurping the throne in a single day, Astra's life and future comes to an end and she seeks nothing more than death but Darkaldie craves not her death, but instead, his dark, filthy soul craves her pure, untainted soul. He is determined to get the perfect priestess to break and to crave but if there be anything Astra now craves, it is the death of Darkaldie Halcremide. She would go to any length for her sole craving, his death. And yet, what Darkaldie wants, Darkaldie gets. A struggle, a tussle. Cravings clash, lust stir, secrets lurk. Astra is TAKEN but Darkaldie's life, she vows to take. TAKEN - A Rogue King x Priestess Romance.

I was in a temporary shock from an allergic reaction. The two guys I had grown up with didn't even look my way. One of them was busy helping Vivian Byrd carry a pile of gifts, while the other was snapping pictures of her at some popular social media spot. It was a stranger passing by who called an ambulance and got me to the hospital, saving my life. The next day, Vivian called, her tone almost smug. "Trish, Zeke and Hendrick were so exhausted after shopping with me yesterday. I heard you threw a tantrum and ended up in the hospital. Should I come visit you?" I simply replied, "No need." Zeke Benson and Hendrick Peay were my childhood friends. They once treated me like I was everything to them—promising to pluck the moon and stars from the sky and to protect me forever. But ever since Vivian came into the picture, their world no longer revolved around me. I thought for a moment and then dialed my mother's number. "Mom, I'll accept the marriage arrangement."

In the world of the supernatural and a time of war. The peace and fate of the supernatural domain rest on the shoulder of a young she-wolf named Selena. Selena grew up as a human, discovering her true identity after the series of nightmares that hunts her down her world was turned upside down. She was lonely, pained, and confused, she was chosen by the moon goddess for greatness. She was the first ever descendant of the moon goddess to ever come into existence. She kicked in courage and became clever, determined, and heroic when she crossed paths with Marcus Verne. Marcus Verne is a fierce and vicious god, who was sent out of the macrocosm because of his greed and selfishness, he embezzled the Alpha position and cruelly enslaved the supernatural realm. He is invincible, brutal, and sends terrifying chills to the core anywhere that he goes but Selena bearing the moon mark around her neck was strong enough to stop him. But with Selena's mate in the picture, could she be able to succeed? Could she pick love over her destiny or could their love conquer all? Follow Selena on her journey full of love, terror, and suspense.

In the crimson glow of a forbidden moon, Elara Voss locks eyes with Kael Blackthorn, the most ruthless Alpha the packs have ever feared and the world stops. One glance, one heartbeat, and the mate bond slams into her like a storm: primal, inescapable, terrifying. He claims her instantly, brutally, as his bride, his to possess, his to break, his to keep forever. But Kael isn't offering love; he's demanding submission. A dark pact seals their union: her bloodline for his power, her body for his control, her soul for the survival of his warring pack. Elara knows monsters hide behind those silver eyes, the same eyes that once destroyed everything she held dear. Yet every possessive growl, every punishing touch, every stolen moment in the shadows awakens something savage inside her, something that craves the beast who swore to ruin her. As ancient enemies circle and betrayal bleeds through the pack, the line between obsession and destruction blurs. He’ll burn the world to keep her. She’ll fight to the death to escape him. In a bond forged by fate and sealed in blood, can love born at first sight survive the darkness... or will it devour them both?

My best friend, Cassidy Braun, earned a modest monthly salary of 2,800 dollars, only to constantly trash her doting husband with an annual income of 600,000 dollars, labelling him a broke loser. “That incompetent husband of mine can’t even afford a 20-carat diamond ring! “I have the looks that can bag me a billionaire. I must have been out of my mind to marry that piece of trash.” I chimed in. “You’re right. You’re practically a goddess. Only a Greek God stands a chance with you.” Eventually, Cassidy left her husband and hooked up with a trust-fund kid, just as she wanted. A year later, she was scammed out of every penny she owned and diagnosed with cancer. Fragile and broken, she came to me. “I heard that ex-husband of mine remarried and that he’s loaded now. Judging by the way he used to worship the ground I walked on, I bet he’ll drop the woman in a heartbeat if I ask to get back together.” I gave a dismissive nod while running my fingers along the new Birkin bag my husband had bought. “Oh, absolutely. He’s pretty wealthy now.”