It Was Good While It Lasted

In the third year that I've been diagnosed with late-stage bone cancer, Xenia Jensen, the ex-girlfriend whom I have "abandoned" back then, barges into my rented apartment with the rest of her team that she leads as a police captain. Every day, I have to rely on large amounts of morphine just so I can force myself to stand like a regular human being. I can only twitch violently as I try to grab a pill bottle on the table, my skin completely riddled with needle marks. Xenia chuckles icily as she savors how pathetic I look. "Oh? It's been seven years since we last met, and yet I never thought you'd stoop so low as to become a drug addict. "Where did your gusto to get a better, richer girlfriend go? I can't believe you're willing to humiliate yourself just for some so-called medicine!" As soon as Xenia's words fall, I point at the pill bottle with a trembling finger. "Please, officer… Can you please give me my medicine?" Xenia chortles in response. She picks up the bottle before walking toward the bathroom, soon flushing it down the toilet. "You want your medicine? Go ask the peeps at the rehab for it! It seems both your heart and your body are rotten to the core after you left me for another woman!" I'm in so much pain that I'm convulsing violently right now. "Oh… Then… Am I going to die?" I curl up on the floor, hoping to tide over the latest wave of pain by using the method my doctor has taught me. But Xenia merely gazes at me coldly from the side. In fact, she starts recording me, saying that she wants to make me a living negative example.

Loving Murphy Townsend was a secret Gemma Kirk could never share. Murphy was not just anyone—he was her uncle. She was the cherished rose he nurtured, but he was the forbidden love she could never confess to.

Cassandra came from a poor family so her dream in life is to find a rich husband to get out from poverty. During one of their photo shoots, she met Dark, a billionaire who's only pretending to be a low class man in order to find his dream wife. They became friends but what Cassandra didn't expect is her feelings that started to grow for Dark. But despite that, she made a bad move and didn't listen to her heart. And now that she finally entered his world, will she able to win him again? Can she make him fall in love again now that he's being cold and heartless towards her? Can he forgive her and starts over again?

The life trial system "If You Think You Can Do Better, Prove It" burst onto the scene like a traveling circus promising wonders. The idea was plain enough: "If you reckon someone's life is a mess, and you think you can do better, go ahead and prove it. There's a reward waiting if you do." Before I knew it, my whole family had me pegged for the fool in the middle of the show. There was my mother, dreaming of turning me into some grand goose; my husband, who'd spent years dodging his rightful share of the family load; and my son, mortified by the very sight of me. They shoved me onto the "judgment seat" like I was the villain of the tale. Every last one of them swore up and down that, given my place, they'd manage my life better than I ever could. The stakes? Well, if they pulled it off, my consciousness would be erased—gone, wiped out like a mistake on a chalkboard—and turned into their personal servant. On top of that, they'd waltz off with a cool million dollars. But if they couldn't? Then I'd be the one raking in three million dollars. Now that's a gamble for the ages, isn't it?

I knew the exact moment when everything changed. It was the day in March, the same one I got assaulted by my boss, lost my job, saved my pregnant sister from committing suicide, and as if it wasn’t enough… it was the day Kieran King walked into my life. I hated Kieran from the moment I laid my eyes on him for the first time. He was an arrogant bastard that turned my life upside down, and no matter how much I despised him, I also could not live without him. He blackmailed me, used me, he was cruel and rough, and I wanted nothing more than to get away… but he also saved my life and protected me when I needed it the most. Now I don’t know if I can leave anymore. My name is Sophia Howard and this is my story.

He was supposed to be my fake boyfriend for one night. Not the man who’d ruin me for all others. I’ve had a thing for Colton Stone since I was a teenager. He’s brooding, built like sin, and—unfortunately—my older brother’s best friend. When my stalker ex crashes my brother’s wedding, I do the only logical thing: grab Colton and kiss him like my life depends on it. He plays along, all hard muscle and smoldering heat, and suddenly our fake relationship feels very real. One night turns into stolen days and breathless nights in Colton’s bed, where he worships every inch of me like I’m his to keep. But everything shatters when my ex abducts me—and I discover I’m pregnant. Now I’m trapped, terrified, and caught in a twisted game where my ex claims the baby is his. Will Colton risk everything to find me... or abandon me when I need him most?

"You only miss the sun when it starts to snow." Zara Hall was a lover girl, who only had eyes for Scott even though he treated her like trash. After they got married according to their grandmothers' wishes, Zara saw hell at the hands of Scott. He not only refused to show her off to the world as his wife, but also blamed her for his parents' death. To muddy the waters even further, Cora—another childhood friend of theirs—stuck to him like glue. Zara did all she could to win Scott's heart. One day, he asked her for an open marriage. She agreed because she loved him. However, he got angry after he saw her with another man. One thing led to another and Zara had no choice but to ask for a divorce. Surprisingly, Scott was unwilling to let her go. The messy battle soon became messier when she falls pregnant for him. Zara is torn between the devil and the deep blue sea as she works her way to the top to restore her family's lost glory. Meanwhile, Scott realizes that he can't live without her. Cora continued to pose a threat to their happiness. She pulled all the stops just to break them apart, using her child as a pawn. Later, it's discovered that the accident that occurred several years ago was orchestrated. Zara continued to shield her baby from the whole drama, but there was only little she could do as Scott tries everything to win her back. "I'm sorry for not valuing you, Zee. Please, just give me a second chance," he said on his knees in public. Would Zara get back with him for her son's sake? Who's behind their parents' murder? Wanna find out what exactly the future holds for them?

In the fifth month of my pregnancy, my husband brought back his first love, who was eight months pregnant and causing a stir about getting a divorce. I politely told him that pregnant women would influence each other, which wasn’t good for the child. Alex, however, smashed a water glass and said in disgust, "Sarah is depressed because of the divorce, and the only one she can rely on is me! Do you want her to die?" I felt nauseous and vomited, unable to sleep through the night, and my health worsened with each passing day. To make her happy, he filled the house with lilies. But he had forgotten that I was allergic to lilies and locked me in the room, saying, "Let’s see if you can get an allergic reaction if you can’t smell the lilies." I bled continuously, desperately calling him for help for both myself and the child, but he simply said that I was still early in the pregnancy and there wouldn’t be any problems. When the fetal movements stopped, I had completely given up. It was at that moment that he frantically pushed open the door.

My father has chosen me to succeed him in the family business. But if I want the job, it comes with stipulations. And one of those stipulations is to never mix business with pleasure. AKA, don't sleep with anyone on the job. My father leads by example, and not once have I ever seen him get involved with anyone, not even his beautiful assistant. That was an easy rule to follow...until Axel. Axel is an expert distributor, someone who knows how to get our product past the ruthless regulations mandated by the government. My father has never had a partner, but he makes an exception for Axel because he's good at what he does. But the second our eyes meet...there's fire. He's by far the most handsome man I've ever seen, and his I couldn't care less attitude makes me weak. But I put up boundaries and reject his advances. But this man doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. One night together becomes the precursor to the most passionate affair of my life. If my father discovers our secret, it'll cost me my career...and it'll cost Axel his life. To make matters worse, I'm falling for this man...and I think he's falling for me too.

After six years together, Hansel Johnson comes to Miranda Sutton with an arm around his new lover and tells her he wants to break up. Miranda doesn't kick up a fuss. She packs her things, takes the exorbitant sum of money he gives her as compensation, and moves out without hesitation. Hansel's friends make bets on how long Miranda can stick it out this time—everyone in Jandersville knows that Miranda is madly in love with Hansel, after all. She loves him so much that she can cast aside her pride, dignity, and temper. They're sure she'll come begging for him to take her back in three days, at most. But when three days come and go… Hansel's the first to lose his composure. It's his first time giving in to Miranda. He calls her and says, "Have you had enough of this nonsense? If you have, you'd better come back." Unfortunately for him, he only hears a man chuckle on the other end of the line. "It's too late to change something once it's done, Mr. Johnson. There isn't anything in this world that can turn back time." "I'm looking for Miranda. Pass the phone to her!" Hansel snaps. "Sorry, but my girlfriend's too tired. She's just fallen asleep."