I'll Never Leave

I sat at the table, watching the food grow cold, much like my heart. Today was my birthday. It was also Leslie Buck's birthday—Katherine White's childhood sweetheart. I unlocked my phone and opened Leslie's social media page. As expected, a new post awaited me. "Grateful to have you by my side for every birthday. Let's keep our promise to celebrate every one of them together in the future!" The photo showed two hands forming a heart in front of a cake. One of them was Katherine's. I could tell from the bracelet she wore. It was the one I had given her. I gave the post a like, then set my phone aside. Without hesitation, I dumped the dishes Katherine liked into the trash and went out to a restaurant to order the food I liked, celebrating my birthday alone. From now on, I would make sure to enjoy every birthday of mine.

Pagmamahal na walang iwanan, pagmamahal kung saan nagsumpaang hindi ka pababayaan, marami mang pagsubok ang dumaan, mananatiling ikaw ang laman, mananatiling ikaw ang sinisigaw at tanging sayo lamang may pagtingin ang pusong simula palang ay pag-aari mo na at hindi nino man. ‘Pinakawalan na kita noon, hinding-hindi ko na hahayaang maulit pa ‘yun.’

My mother is gravely ill and needs a million dollars for surgery. I run all over the city, desperately trying to borrow the money. Just when I'm at my breaking point, my childhood friend shows up, holding a check for one million dollars. His condition? He wants to marry me. Everyone's waiting for me to say yes, but I calmly refuse. Because in my last life, even after I married him, my mother still died. Her surgery failed. Later, I accidentally overhear a conversation between him and a doctor. "Christopher, you sabotaged the surgery just to transplant Alice's mom's kidney into Jennifer? Was it worth it? If Alice finds out, you’re done." "I just want Jennifer to live. And honestly, marrying someone like Alice? My life is already over." That's when I realize our entire marriage was nothing but a carefully woven lie. He did it all for the woman he truly loved.

Ethan Shaw had died. Before the funeral, his wife, Stella Walker, packed his belongings and found a thick photo album. [My True Love] On the cover, it said— She opened it. The photos inside were not of her. They were Rachel Chester—the girl Ethan had adopted years ago. Not only that, Ethan left all his wealth to her. Stella died with hate in her heart. When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the night before she married Ethan. This time, she chose to live for herself and walked away from Ethan to pursue her own dream. What she did not expect was that, in this life, Ethan went mad looking for her when she left. He searched for her everywhere.

In the split second when the research lab explodes, my boyfriend, Thomas Bastion, dashes to Melody Harper, who is standing furthest from the blast zone. He shields her from the impact with his own body. When the sounds of the explosion stop, the first thing he does is carry Melody to the hospital. I'm lying on the floor. My body is covered in fresh blood, but he doesn't spare a single glance at me. Thomas has taken care of Melody for the past 18 years. His heart is filled with nothing but her. There's no space for anyone else. I only survived because my colleagues rushed me to the hospital. When I am discharged from the ICU, I call my teacher, Louis Carpenter. Both my eyes are swollen from how much I've been crying. "Mr. Carpenter, I've made up my mind. I'm willing to join you for the confidential research. It's fine if we have to leave in one month. I don't care that I'll be unable to contact anyone for the next five years." The wedding ceremony that I have been dreaming of is supposed to take place in a month's time. However, I no longer want to get married.

He is the unchallenged Alpha of the Shadow pack. He crushes my hand, lets his true love drive me to the brink, and forces me to lick wolfsbane from my wounds in the punishment chamber, turning me into the pack's laughingstock. I am the Lunar pack's pawn in a political bonding. After enduring three years of humiliation and clutching enemy intelligence, I overturn his throne during the Moon Ceremony, making him watch helplessly as his beloved betrays him and his pack descends into chaos. Later, he backs down. He abdicates as Alpha and gets down on his knees at the pack's border every day, his voice hoarse from shouting, "I was wrong." I hold a blood-stained dagger, my gaze icy as I say, "Your regret is deadlier than wolfsbane and worth even less than my life." Our bonding is a calculated trap, and revenge is the move I am determined to play. Winning him back no longer matters. This time, I am not turning back. I want nothing but his endless remorse and the chance to break my chains and begin a new life.

Raizel Benitez-Cruz grew up believing that he was bullied by Cornelia Bella Braganza. Mas matanda ito sa kanya ng tatlong taon—kung hindi aasarin at lalaitin, ang palaging ending ng pagtatalo nila ay magpapaka-ate ito sa kanya. Ang palagi pa naman tawag nito sa kanya ay “bata” at “taba.” "Kahit kailan, hindi ko magugustuhan ang babaeng iyon!” So he said. He had enough of her. Kaya ang naging solusyon niya ay sundan ito ng tingin at camera, kunin ang mga failed moments at reactions nito, at gamitin na pang-asar. Hanggang sa hindi niya namamalayan, hanap-hanap niya na ito. Dumating ang araw ng graduation ni Bella. Hindi niya inaasahan na sisisihin siya nito sa mga kamalasan nito sa buhay bago sila maghiwalay ng landas. Walang ideya si Raizel sa mga pinatutungkulan ni Bella. Kaya ipinangako niya sa sarili na kung magkikita ulit sila, ipararanas niya rito kung ano ang malas na dala ng isang Raizel Cruz. Magawa niya kaya ito kung sariling puso na ang kalaban niya?

It was five years ago when Andrew's friends died. Two of them were his teammates in volleyball and one of them was his boyfriend. All of them were said to be killed by his best friend, Allen. The tragedy almost caused him to take his own life. But just like the rainbow that appears after a rain, Andrew was able to get back on his feet and tried to live as normal as possible. It was then when he met Karl, a handsome and a tall looking man with a cold demeanor. For Karl, Andrew was his sun no matter what his past is. Andrew was the person who changed him, a person he had promised he wouldn't leave. But there will always be darkness after the sun shines. For they thought they could finally be happy, a person from the dark past came back. Will Andrew be able to find happiness? or will the past pull Andrew back to how he was? For updates follow me on my Facebook page: @lawlietwrites

“I, Caleb Dominic Asher, reject you, Scarlett Rose Davis.” Those words were the most heartbreaking words that I'd ever heard and yet, they didn't sound foreign to me. It didn't come to me as a surprise either. Yes, werewolves were destined to be with their mates but we weren't destined to be. It hurt, but I'll take this pain.

I’d been in love with Cassian Cross—my brother’s best friend, the one and only mafia boss in the NYC—for as long as I could remember. On the night of my twentieth birthday, my brother promised me a surprise. I didn’t expect that surprise to be a very drunk, very kissable Cassian. One reckless night. One baby boy. Cassian agreed to marry me after giving birth. But the day I gave birth to Leo, Cassian said nothing. He just packed up and vanished to France for nearly five years. Then he returned with Alessia. His first love. And when she saw Leo and me, she ran away and disappeared. After that, Cassian never left my side. Like he was trying to be the man I needed all along, that we were finally going to have our chance. But fairytales are lies wrapped in pretty paper. On Leo’s sixth birthday, we were driving to dinner. The brakes failed. The car spun onto the highway, flames licking at the engine. Cassian got out. And then he locked the door. “If it weren’t for you, Alessia would still be by my side. Now? It’s your turn to suffer.” It wasn’t until that moment I understood—Cassian had never loved me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my twenties birthday. Cassian was in my bed, exactly where I’d left him in the past. This time, I didn’t hesitate. I ran. And on my way out, I made the call I should’ve made the first time. To Alessia.