July First Reads

Jamie Reyes doesn’t do one-night stands. But after a soul-crushing breakup and too many glasses of whiskey, he lets himself fall—just once—for a stranger’s hands, lips, and whispered promises in the dark. No names. No strings. No future. Until Monday morning, when his anonymous hookup steps into the conference room… as Julian Black, his new department supervisor. Julian is everything Jamie shouldn’t want—older, emotionally locked down, and strictly off-limits. Yet the tension simmers, sharp as ever, and pretending it didn’t happen is impossible when every brush of fingers feels like a memory. They’re supposed to be professionals. They’re not supposed to want more. And if they’re caught, everything Jamie’s worked for could fall apart. But what happens when the lines blur, and a one-night mistake becomes the one thing neither of them can walk away from? A steamy, slow-burn MM office romance filled with forbidden tension, secret glances, and the kind of chemistry that doesn’t stay buried.

Sa araw ng kasal ko, dumating ang first love ng fiance ko sa wedding ceremony suot ang parehong haute couture gown na gaya ng sa akin. Pinanood ko silang tumayo ng magkasama sa entrance, binabati ang mga bisita na para bang sila ang bride at groom. Nanatili akong mahinahon, pinuri ko sila, sinabi ko na bagay sila sa isa’t isa—maganda at matalino, itinadhana sila para sa isa’t isa. Napaluha ang babae at umalis. Gayunpaman, ang fiance ko, ay hindi nagdalawang-isip na ipahiya ako sa harap ng lahat, inakusahan niya ako na mapaghiganti at makitid ang pag-iisip. Noong matapos ang wedding banquet, umalis siya para sa dapat sana ay honeymoon namin—at siya ang kasama niya. Hindi ako nakipagtalo o gumawa ng eksena. Sa halip, palihim akong nag-book ng appointment para sa abortion.

She signed a contract with him to become the lady at his beck and call. He claimed, “This is for our mutual benefit. Once the contract expires, we will be nothing but strangers.” However, he broke his promise and refused to let her go. “Liam Ackman, when will you ever let me go?” His thin lips curled up into a smirk as he picked her up bridal style. “Anna Hamilton, you are mine for the rest of your life! Don’t even think about leaving!” Turned out, it had always been a trap, and she fell for it. There was no escaping his grasp! 

It was a national holiday and we decided to drive back to my husband's hometown to spend the holidays. One day before we left, my husband's childhood crush came crying to him that she had not managed to buy train tickets home. My husband immediately decided to let her have my seat in the car and insisted that I take the train instead. I looked at him in disbelief. There was shock in my eyes. Even my son insisted I take the train. "Mommy, Aunt Rosie is so pretty. How could you make her take the train?" I did not argue. I booked my train ticket right in front of them. However, it was to my own hometown. I no longer wanted a biased husband and a disloyal son.

Kapwa may inililihim ang magkasintahang Diana at Ryan sa isa't-isa. Si Diana, ang napipintong arranged marriage nito sa isang mayamang binata sa kanilang bayan. Si Ryan, ang pagtatago nito ng kanyang pagkatao bilang unico hijo ng bilyonaryong angkan. Isang taon ng pagmamahalan at kinailangan na ni Diana na umuwi upang tuparin ang pangako sa pamilya. Sa gabi ng kanilang hiwalayan, nagpakalasing ang binata at inakalang may nangyari sa kanila ni Jade, ang kaibigang matalik ni Diana. Punong-puno ito ng pagsisisi sa nangyari. Pitong taon ang lumipas at nagkrus muli ang kanilang landas. Paano na lang kung malaman ni Ryan na hindi pala si Jade ang kanyang nakasama nang gabing iyon kundi si Diana? Ano kaya ang mangyayari kapag napagtanto nito na ang isang gabi ng kalasingan at kahinaan ay nagbunga pala ng isang bibo at matalinong bata?

Sonnet Turner agreed to get married in her foster sister’s place to rescue her foster father. Everyone thought that Sonnet’s future was ruined as she married a fool when she already had two children.Unlike everyone’s expectations, Sonnet soon appeared in the social circle of wealthy young women in Harbor City. Among Harbor City’s Big Four, whom all the wealthy young women of Harbor City fancied, one of them was in charge of driving Sonnet around, one of them was in charge of helping Sonnet lift her skirt when she went down the stairs, and the other two of them worked as her bodyguards. The wealthy young women of Harbor City were all beyond jealous. Sonnet’s foster sister showed up and said, “Sonnet Turner, so what if you’re that capable? You still married a fool!” “Who said I’m a fool?” A man wrapped his arms around Sonnet’s waist. The group of wealthy people behind him treated him extremely courteously. Sonnet was shocked. Since when had her silly husband become a rich, cool, and handsome boss?!

The emergency center I worked in went haywire as the typhoon closed in on our town. That night, my husband’s first love made seven emergency calls in a row to me. However, she did not say anything when I picked up. By the eighth call, I thought it was a prank caller, so I gave them a piece of my mind. Then, I heard my husband’s angry voice. “Melinda! This is the eighth time Sadie's called you for help! Haven’t you made her suffer enough?!” After that fiasco, he decided to avenge Sadie by taping my mouth, tying my wrists and legs up, and throwing me into our basement for three whole days, despite it being flooded with seawater, I begged for mercy, but it was to no avail. “You knew Sadie couldn’t talk because she hurt her throat, yet you still hung up on her! I'm going to make sure you feel the same hopelessness she felt!" Those three days left me with a collection of severe infections. I ended up having to remove my kidney. Even after all that, that man still had the gall to kneel by my bed and beg me to give him another chance.

Noah left me at the altar three times—for his precious Freya. First time? She threatened to jump off a building. Second? Said she was moving abroad. Third? Sent a text saying she was getting forced into some arranged marriage. Noah, usually Mr. Cool, freaked. Left a packed venue and turned me into a total joke. Again. I called him. "If you don't come back today, I'm marrying someone else." He laughed. "Freya's young. You're too old to be playing games, aren't you?" I clutched my phone, heart sinking. He knew Freya was bluffing. Still picked her. That's when I finally gave up. Later, after he'd calmed her down, he came looking for me. "Pick a new wedding date," he said, like it was no big deal. "It'll be even grander this time." A guy's voice cut through, smiling. "Sorry, man. Gotta get my wife on the plane."

Pangarap ni Liezel ang magkanobyo at makangasawa ng gwapo at mayaman para mai-ahon sa hirap ang pamilya na sa kanya lang umaasa kaya naisipan niyang sumali sa controversial na dating app. Nang manalo sa billionaire's app si Liezel, ang premyo isang mayaman at gwapong bilyonaryong mapapangasawa. Walang kaalam alam si Randy na sariling kasal pala niya ang kanyang dadalohan. Nagulat siya nang tinotoo ng ama ang pagsali sa kanya sa app dahil sa pagiging workoholic niya. Hindi niya iyon matanggap, at sinisisi niya si Liezel dahil sa pagiging ambisyosa nito. Hanggang nagdadala siya ng babae sa bahay para pasakitan ang asawa niya na walang ibang ginawa ang asikasohin at mahalin siya. Mag-work kaya ang ganitong set up ng Billionaire's App? matutunan kaya siyang mahalin ni Randy na sa sandaling panahon ay natutunan agad niyang mahalin? Hanggang saan siya magtitiis?

My husband persuaded my daughter to donate her kidney to save his lover. After the surgery, he stayed by his lover’s side and neglected my daughter who developed kidney failure that led to her death. When I confronted the nasty couple, they refused to believe that my daughter had passed away and kicked me out by force. Afterward, I took my daughter's ashes to her eighteenth birthday party where my husband showed up with his lover and tore down all the decorations, going as far as to scatter my daughter’s ashes. He then accused my late daughter of undermining his lover’s career. When he finally had to accept that his daughter was dead, he still insisted on defending his lover. Eventually, I showed him proof that it was his lover who refused the hospital’s proposed organ donor so that she could plot to take my daughter’s kidney instead. Upon finding out the truth, he lost his mind and killed his lover. Now that those two have gotten what they deserve, I bring my daughter’s ashes and travel to the places she had always wanted to go to.