Novel & Cerita I Wouldn't

"You're mine, Celestine. No one could ever have you other than me, remember that. You're already married to me. That means you're forever stuck to the man you called a devil. You're forever stuck in the devil's arms, Celestine. With no other way out, but death." *** Holy Celestine Marquez is the epitome of beauty, kindness, and brain. She was dubbed to be an angel in her university, not just because of her face, but because of her attitude. Kahit yata lamok ay hindi nito kayang patayin. Even her father thought that she's too innocent for this world, kaya naman nang sabihin ni Holy na gusto niyang maging madre pagkatapos niyang mag-kolehiyo ay hindi na siya pinigilan pa ng kaniyang Ama. Eros Hunter Salvatore is a devil himself. A successful billionaire na talagang hinahabol ng mga kababaihan. Not only that, he's also a know drag racer na siyang dahilan kung bakit mas lalong humahaba ang pila sa kaniya. Pero wala ni-isang babae ang nakalapit sa kaniya ng sobra lalo na at napaka-ikli lang pasensiya niya at madalas ay parang bulkang nag-aalburoto. Well, he wouldn't be called a devil for nothing. Paano kung mag-tagpo ang landas ng dalawang taong parehong magka-ibang magka-iba nang hindi nila inaakalang pareho? Paano kung mapilitan si Holy na pumirma ng isang kontrata na inilahad ni Eros upang mabayaran ang pagkaka-utang ng kaniyang kapatid rito? Mapipigilan pa kaya ni Eros si Holy sa pagpasok nito sa kumbento? Will it be possible for love to grow? Paano kung... isang malaking kasinungalingan lang pala ang lahat? Kakayanin kaya ni Holy ang mga sekretong malalaman niya? Love, betrayal, and a broken heart. Those are just one of the things that you'll experience once you fall in love. Are you still willing to be stuck in the devil's... arms?

Ikakasal na rin naman ako, bakit hindi ko pa hayaan ang sarili kong sulitin ang gabi na 'to dahil kinaumagahan pag-aari na ako ng iba. "Laze," matipid na tawag ko sa kaniya. "Hindi mo na ako gusto, 'di ba?" Kwestyon ko na ikinatigil niya. "Hindi na." Sagot niya kaya mapait akong ngumiti at tsaka ako tumayo. "I am a horrible woman, Laze. You'll hate me after this, your girl might even curse me to death but I don't care. I want to play," nangunot ang noo niya habang nakatingin sa akin na nakatayo sa bandang harapan niya. "What? Are you gonna kill me?" Nakangisi niyang sabi at naguguluhan, pero tinitigan ko ang mukha niya at tsaka ko pinantayan 'yon. "I'm going to do the things I'm not good at," binasa ko ang labi at tsaka ko sinunggaban ang labi niya, dahil sa ginawa ko ay napasandal pa siya sa wall. Ipinikit ko ang mata at lakas loob na nanatili sa pwesto ko ngunit nang maramdaman ko ang pag awang ng labi niya ay hindi ko na alam ang gagawin kaya napapahiya akong hinawakan ang pisngi niya. Bago pa man ay natigilan ako humiwalay siya at hindi ako makapaniwalang tinitigan, "This is cheating Hakuna Miran," hindi makapaniwalang sabi niya. I know, I know it well. Napatitig ako sa labi niya tsaka ako ngumisi, "That's why I called my self horrible." Seryoso ang mukha niya at tsaka siya tumikhim at umayos ng upo. Parang hindi makapaniwala sa inasta ko, "Do you hate me now?" Ang malamlam niyang mata ay tumitig sa mata ko. Napatitig ako sa kaniya ng dahan dahan siyang tumango, "Yes." That pierced my heart.

(Witchita Series #1) On the evening of Santacruzan, I met Gideon, the consort of my life. Months later, we grew closer to each other, but then... he found out about the bet and we split up. Weeks after our breakup, he confronted and told me, “Panagutan mo ako... Buntis ako," and I was like, “Gago ka ba?” Days after my family revealed our biggest secrets, I made up my list. To do: 1. Get to know more about my family's identity, history, and special ability (especially in dealing with a pregnant male partner!) 2. Master my family's craft — witchcraft. 3. Attend to Deon's needs, assist, and take care of him. 4. Protect and keep him away from his pack for nine months (or else our child's gonna get killed because Deon's a son of an alpha b*tch!) 5. Plan about our child's financial support and our parental setup. 6. Make sure that the whole pregnancy experience will be tolerable for the first-time mommy (or pappy or whatsoever, I don't really know what to call him, geez...) 7. The child should stay with my family after Deon gave birth because he or she belongs to us, to the kind who needs to keep hiding. 8. And the most important thing to do, love my child with all my heart, mind, and Witchita soul. I am Angie Lou Pereira, a Witchita, and this is my guide to successful parenting.

They said, I'm an angel sent down from heaven. They said, I'm too innocent to know the side of evilness of the world. They said, I'm look like Snow White in a fairy tale story with an evil queen trying to kill me. But they didn't know, this angel and innocent they called is an Evil Queen at nights. Hunting to kill innocent angels. Yes, She's innocent. She's an Angel. And that's Gabriela Zeferina Luciano a hired assassin to kill evils. Love is not into her world. Ang mahalaga lang kanya ay ang nakakabata nitong kapatid. Pero nagbago ang lahat ng makatagpo niya ang nagngangalang Emmanuel Alejo isang police officer na laging pinipeste ang tahinik nitong buhay. Pero sa hindi niya sa malamang kadahilanan ay napalapit ang loob nito ng hindi niya namamalayan. Paano kung malaman ng binata ang sikreto nito? Handa ba si Ella sa mangyari at sa pa? Pag-ibig o sakripisyo?

"I love you. I don't know how and why. I just felt it like a star that swiftly falls from the sky..." TEASER Naipangako ni Zalheia na pagbabayarin niya ang walanghiyang lalaking sanhi nang maagang pagkamatay ng nakababata niyang kapatid na si Rebecca. Lalaking minahal nito nang sobra subalit iniwan lamang nang mabuntis na. Iyon ay walang iba kundi si Lowell Morgan Cordova! Makalipas ang ilang buwan matapos mailibing si Rebecca ay nagkakilala sila ng taong pakay niya. Doon nabuo ang plano niya—planong paibigin ito, paglaruan, iwan at saktan! Nakiayon naman ang tadhana sapagkat ang isang Cordova ay halos maglumuhod at sambahin siya. Dahil doon ay lihim na nagbunyi ang pagkatao niya—makakaganti na siya sa sinapit ng kapatid niya. Subalit nang mga panahong handa na niyang isakatuparan ang lahat ay saka naman sumambulat ang nakakubling katotohanan na kahit na kailan ay hindi niya inaasahan...

"Hate consumes too much. Revenge isn’t worth my energy. I left you behind long ago, buried deep in my past." In a marriage that once seemed flawless, a single event triggers its sudden collapse. As everything falls apart, the wife vanishes, only to reappear changed and indifferent. No longer tied to the past, she returns with a cold detachment that leaves everyone questioning the true cost of their perfect life.

“I need you. Babayaran kita, just name your price, after.” Umiling si Carol, “N–No, don’t– huwag kang lalapit.” mariin na tugon ni Carol, habang unti-unti siyang nakakaramdam ng pagkahilo at pinipilit na lumalayo siya sa estrangherong lalaki. “Wala pang babaeng tumanggi sa akin ng ganito. Sorry, Miss, but I won’t let you go that fast– not now that I need you, bago pa ako magkalat ng eskandalo sa labas.” — Carol is secretly married with someone na hindi niya pa kahit kailan nakikita. Dalawang taon na silang kasal, pero sa picture lang, tapos bata pa roon ang asawa niya sa picture. Nang araw na kikitain na niya ang kaniyang asawa sa condo unit nito ay aksidente siyang napagkamalang bayarang babae ng isang lalaki, at ipinasok siya sa isang unit na may tila isang lasing at naka-drogang lalaki. After that night, tumakas siya at takot na takot na mahanap pang muli ng lalaki. Not knowing that is her husband! Laking gulat niya ng pag-uwi niya sa bahay ay annulment papers ang naghihintay sa kaniya. She thought she would be free now, ngunit ang hindi niya alam ay nakatakas man siya sa kaniyang asawa, pero nabaliw naman ito sa kaniya dahil sa gabing may nangyari sa kanila at pilit na ipapahanap siya sa mga tauhan nito! Kapwa nila hindi alam na mag-asawa pala sila!

"Speaking, Mr. Thompson. What can I--" "I'm looking for my wife, Mr. Montevista. Is she with you, by any chance?" Hinaing nito sa kabilang linya dahilan para magngitngit nang galit lalo si Deiah sa narinig nitong salitang "wife" Ang lakas nga naman ng loob nitong tawagin siya nitong wife pagkatapos siyang pilitin nitong pirmahan ang papel na iyon. "Excuse me. Mawalang galang pero puwede bang piliin mo ang mga salita mo, Mr. Thompson. Ex-wife mo na ako ngayon. Hindi asawa." May diin sa tono ng pagkakasabi ni Deiah sa salitang "hindi asawa" habang ramdam niya ang pangangatog ng tuhod niya. Mas lumalakas na din ang kabog ng puso niya. "Totoo nga. Magkasama nga talaga kayo." Madiing sagot ni Primo, mahahalata sa boses nitong ang nagngingit nitong tono sa pagbitaw sa bawat salita. "Bakit hindi? Ikaw lang ba ang puwedeng humanap ng makakasama?" "Deiah!" Bulyaw ni Primo na halos hindi mapipinta ang mukha dahil sa madilim nitong awra. "I warn you, don't be hasty. Our divorce isn't finalized, we haven't received the certificate. Legally, you're still my wife. Consider the Thompson family's reputation and your dignity." Dagdag niya pang sabi kay Deiah.

I successfully disappeared for five years. Five. Whole. Years. Do you understand how hard that is when you're internationally hunted, emotionally unstable, and raising a five-year-old child who thinks hiding under restaurant tables counts as "stealth mode"? I had a plan. Disappear quietly. Protect my daughter. Never see Caelan Valecrest again. Simple. Effective. Emotionally catastrophic, sure, but effective. Except apparently the universe looked at my suffering and said, "Needs more comedy." Because after five years of hiding from corrupt billionaires, secret syndicates, and people who think illegal human experimentation is a fun hobby… I got exposed by a child with pigtails and zero survival instincts. "Daddy!" That's what Kaeliviane yelled. In public. Directly at Caelan Valecrest. Do you know what kind of spiritual damage that causes a person? Caelan froze. I froze. Even the waiter carrying champagne froze. Meanwhile, my daughter was smiling proudly like she'd just solved world hunger instead of detonating my entire life. Now Caelan keeps appearing everywhere "coincidentally." Sir, you are the CEO of Valecrest Global Holdings. You do not accidentally appear at playgrounds carrying strawberry milk and dinosaur bandages. And why is he good with children?! One minute he's terrifying billionaires in boardrooms, the next he's kneeling on the ground helping Kaeliviane bandage her stuffed rabbit because apparently "Mr. Bunbun had emotional damage." Traitorously, she adores him. Absolutely obsessed. Yesterday she told me, very seriously: "Mommy, Daddy looks scary but his eyes become sparkly when he sees me." I nearly passed away. Meanwhile, I'm trying very hard to survive secret organizations hunting my family, assassins who don't believe in personal space, emotional trauma, and the deeply unfortunate realization that I might still be stupidly in love with Caelan Valecrest. Honestly, being chased by international syndicates was less stressful.

"I’m leaving, Sebastian. I’m leaving everything." Sabi nila, Celestine is the luckiest girl alive. She was a nobody. Isang orphan na pumasok sa mundo ng mga elite. Gabi-gabi, magkatabi nga sila, pero ang puso ng asawa niya ay milyun-milyong kilometro ang layo. Nakikita niya ang pagmamahal sa mga mata nito, pero alam niyang hindi para sa kanya 'yun, kundi para sa babaeng binubulong nito sa kanyang pagtulog. Even after giving birth to their twins, she felt like a guest in her own home. Kaya nung naghain siya ng divorce, she didn't ask for a single centavo. He has the crown, the title, and the billions. Pero huli na nung na-realize ni Sebastian: He lost the only woman who loved the man, not the wealth.