Just Like Home Sarah Gailey Novels & Stories

When Eloise Garpin, my daughter, comes back from kindergarten, she tells me that her teacher, Karen Linsell, has given her class a weird assignment. Apparently, everyone is to record their mothers' menstrual week. But what makes things weirder is that whenever I'm on my period, John Garpin, my husband who's often busy with work, keeps offering to pick Eloise up from kindergarten. One day, I come across a post on a social media app. "What should I do? I've fallen in love with my student's rich father! Oh dear, I really like him so much! You have no idea that his taut and slim waist looks so seductive! Every time I see him, I can't help but moan!" Someone begins admonishing her out of fury the moment they see the post. "What the hell? Are you itching to become a mistress? You really are shameless! Goodness, you're so disgusting! I can't believe you call yourself a teacher!" Unexpectedly, the original poster doesn't care about the comment at all. She even posts a photo featuring the aftermath of her carnal fun with the man. "So what if I am? Anyway, we regularly sleep together every month whenever he picks his daughter up during his wife's period. This is so thrilling!" I'm stunned when I see the million-dollar custom watch strapped to the man's wrist in the photo. And today… happens to be the first day of my period.

At the company's year-end party, I'm about to get on the stage and give away the awards when I suddenly overhear two employees gossiping behind my back. "Hurry! It'd be awful to miss out on the scene where the legitimate wife gives the biggest award away to the mistress!" "I've already hated that Raven crone for the longest time! Winnie really is smart for pulling this trick!" Oh? Do they intend to watch me humiliate myself in public? My lips curl into a cold smirk as I accept the microphone and get onto the stage. Winnie Lane, the secretary of my husband, Fred Colson, shoots me a taunting and mocking look right away from her spot beneath the stage. I know that she's waiting to watch me make a fool out of myself. I also know that the receiver of the best sales performance award with the prize money of a million dollars has already been switched to Winnie. The day before the party, I, the sales champion of the company, suddenly get nominated as the guest who would give away the awards at the party, courtesy of Fred. I thought it was an additional praise meant for the sales department. It turns out that it's just Fred doting on his darling mistress even more than usual. I clear my throat before I slowly unfold the list. "The first award that I'd like to give away is the best…" Before I can finish speaking, Winnie draws to her feet instantly. A sweet smile is already playing on her lips at that moment. "The Best Office Snake Award! And the winner is…"

How do you become an Alpha? Having had a normal childhood growing up with his family in california and now a young adult going to college soon, finding out on his 21st birthday that he's a werewolf and not just any werewolf but the next Alpha of the Silver tooth pack was a birthday surprise Zayed didn't see coming, in between navigating his new identity, unravelling family secrets and dealing with threats to his life, he must also deal with the growing feelings he has for the sexy, stubborn redhead Kiera who turned his life upside down. How do you train an Alpha? That is the question on Kiera Silver's mind as she is tasked with the responsibility of not just finding the rightful Alpha but also training him, she expects him to be a stubborn, spoilt and entitled teenager but is shocked to find out he's not at all what she thought, for one he's a tall sexy man with silver eyes she can't seem to look away from and the ability to charm the pants off her!as they get to know each other better, she finds herself slowly falling in love with him even though she's bonded to Tyres,her childhood best friend. Will Zayed become the rightful Alpha? Will their ill-fated love story have a happy ending or will it all crumble before their eyes? Find out in this tale of Love, betrayals and victory.

The fertility clinic called to inform me that my embryos were ready for transfer. I touched my abdomen, still numb from the anesthesia of that morning's egg retrieval. Even with cutting-edge medical technology, embryos couldn't be prepared this quickly. Before I could call back to clarify, my husband stopped me. "Mom's been pressing us hard. I pulled some strings to fast-track the process so you can get pregnant sooner. Imagine twins! My buddies will be green with envy." Silent, I drove straight to the clinic and dialed 911 on the way. "Hello? I'm reporting a fertility clinic involved in illegal surrogacy."

As New Year's Day approaches, a new hire who has only been with the company for six months, who is a mama's girl, calls the police and tries to have me arrested. She suspects our company is some kind of a scam. But the truth is, the company exceeded its performance targets this year. That is why I prepared a million-dollar year-end bonus, a ten-day premium trip to Graceland, and equity grants for my employees. Yet, she waves around a video her mother sends her, claiming that high-paying jobs like the one I offered are all traps. Not only that, she slanders my company all over the internet. Netizens become outraged and call me a scammer disguised as an entrepreneur. Having become the target of public criticism, I simply issue a notice, saying, "The company will immediately begin transfer procedures, and all perks are canceled." As soon as the announcement comes out, my employees, who have just taken out loans to buy homes and just gotten their visas for the trip, are completely stunned.

On New Year's Eve, my own brother slapped me three times. He stood there, full of himself, and spat at me in disgust. "This is my house. Who do you think you are, coming in here and telling me what to do? Get out. You're nothing but bad luck. If you dare stay, I'll hit you again." He seemed to have forgotten something. The house he was living in was the one I had bought for Mom. The jewelry his wife wore was all paid for by me. The money in his children's hands was the generous allowance I had just given them. My face still burning, I looked around at the others. My sister-in-law curled her lips into a mocking smile and let out an icy snort. The two children stared at me with open hostility. Mom, who had called me there tonight for my birthday, stood silently in the corner. Just like always, her eyes were red, yet she said nothing. At that moment, something in me snapped.

I slept with my brother's best friend. And I didn't even know who he was. --- The first time I saw Rafael De Luca, he was a stranger by the pool with sin in his smile and hunger in his icy blue eyes. He kissed me like I was air and he'd been drowning. Then I learned his name. My brother's best friend. The heir to the De Luca empire. My family's sworn enemy. I should have walked away. Instead, I let him ruin me. One night of passion. One whispered "my little sunshine" against my skin. One secret I took with me when I disappeared without a trace. Now I'm back. Six years later, Rafael is colder than ever, Chicago's most feared mafia prince, and the man I'm being forced to marry. He doesn't know why I left. He doesn't know about the five-year-old secret waiting at home with his father's blue eyes. And he definitely doesn't know that one look from him still sets me on fire. "You're mine now, sole," he whispers against my lips on our wedding night. "And I'm going to find out why you left. Every. Damn. Reason." He thinks he's in control. He thinks he's the one ruining me. But Rafael De Luca doesn't know the truth yet. I didn't just sleep with my brother's best friend. I gave him a son. And when he finds out, this monster who wears obsession like armor will have to decide: Destroy me for my betrayal... Or surrender to the passion that could save us both.

I am Athena the first born child of the Alpha Caden. I have come back to take my rightful position." She paused.  "As Alpha." Gasps and murmurs of wonder disbelief rose in the crowd. It had never been recorded in history that an Alpha werewolf should give birth to a female as a first child. But everyone saw the uncanny resemblance between her and the first queen the heard the Alpha voice of authority in her. But it how was it. She let the noise die down before she continued. "Although I never knew my father, you all knew him, Alpha Caden kind, considerate, passionate and respectful of his people. He entertained complaints from the lowest of ranks. Joined in manual labor and from time to time visited the poor. He was loved by many." She let the whispers of agreement die down. "I am nothing like him."

During our New Year’s Eve dinner, I told my family that my company was not giving out year-end bonuses. The table went silent. Even the TV host counting down to midnight suddenly sounded grating. My husband and daughter slammed the table in frustration. “No year-end bonus?! How are we supposed to pay the mortgage and the car loan? I didn’t marry you so you could live off me!” “Other moms either buy designer bags or send money. You’re the most useless one. You can’t even bring home a $100,000 bonus.” My in-laws sat there with dark looks on their faces and said nothing. I looked at their self-righteous faces and felt a lump in my throat. All these years, every expense in this family was paid with the money I earned from late nights, overtime, and project commissions. But all they could see was the $100,000 bonus I did not bring home. “If you can’t make any money, then get out!” My husband grabbed my arm and pushed me toward the door. My daughter was not satisfied and kicked me on the lower back. I did not turn around. I took out my phone and booked the presidential suite at a downtown five-star hotel. My bank account had just received a $1 million dividend payout. It was true that I did not get a year-end bonus. But I got promoted to management. From this day onward, I would receive $1 million in dividends every year.

“You’re gentle. You’re not always gentle, Julian…” “It’s our anniversary…” he muttered. Before Lena could respond, Julian placed his thumb to her clit and pushed a finger into her. “Julian,” she gasped. . . . Days after their third anniversary, Lena’s husband came home and asked for a divorce. No warning. No apology. Just a decision he had already made, for a woman who had already left before. Lena signed the papers. She walked away. And while Julian went back to the love of his life, Lena went back to something she had been hiding all along—her name, her family, and an empire worth more than everything Julian Black had ever built. She was never a nobody. He just never bothered to find out who she really was. Two years later, they’re in the same room again. Same circles, same boardrooms, same suffocating tension neither of them knows what to do with. Julian is starting to understand exactly what he threw away. And Lena is trying very hard to remember why she let him go. But some mistakes don’t stay buried. And some feelings refuse to stay dead. And some secrets fight to resurface. But what are those secrets?