Karma Seals

On the Northwind Trail, just before sunrise, my flashlight cut across the inside of the SUV and landed on five lifeless bodies. My hands shook as I dialed 911. "Hello? I'm on Route 296, the Northwind Trail. Everyone in my car… is dead." The operator's voice was calm but quick. "Please confirm your location. Officers are on their way." My words dropped heavy and flat, like stones hitting the ground. "I'm on Route 296, about three miles east of the mountain pass. The plate number is NA318X. Five people inside the car are dead… and I'm the only one alive."

After my 99th failed confession of love to Jim, my parents grounded me for two weeks. "You've embarrassed yourself enough over that illegitimate son from the Larson family," they snapped. "Has he ever even spared you a proper glance?" "Stay home and reflect. We've already arranged your marriage to the Shaw family. The wedding will be in two weeks." However, I didn’t give up. I was so determined to see Jim, no matter what. Only to walk in on him locked in a deep kiss with his precious first love in a private room. "Jim, you really know how to play," one of his friends laughed. "If the Cunningham family's heiress catches you like this, she'll probably lose her mind again." "Seriously, you've turned Ella down so many times, and now that she's grounded, you haven't even sent her a message. Aren't you afraid she'll finally give up on you?" Jim just scoffed with disdain and said calmly, "What's there to be afraid of? Everyone in the capital knows Ella is obsessed with me. Who else would want her but me?" "If I hadn't needed her to get back into the Larson family, I never would've postponed my engagement to Rowena in the first place."

The kindergarten was engulfed in flames. My four-year-old daughter was trapped inside. I pleaded desperately with my firefighter husband, "Nina is upstairs!" He snapped impatiently, "You're just trying to stop me from saving Dana's daughter. How could you be so cruel? Dana is fragile. If she loses her child, it will destroy her. She won't survive this." That night, he emerged from the fire carrying Dana's daughter, instantly becoming a hero. Even at midnight, when I wept by the side of our daughter's ashes, he was still with Dana. "Samuel Leif, you'll pay for this!"

"Ah... go easy, my husband is calling." My cheeks flushed bright red as I grabbed the phone and accepted the video call. On the other end, my husband, Trevor Chambers, stared intently and began rattling off a list of instructions. He was completely unaware that just out of view, a young man's head was busy nuzzling between my thighs.

When Dakota walks in on her rebound boyfriend sleeping with her bestfriend, she is convinced that she has the worst luck. Drunk and miserable, she lands in bed with a hot stranger. The next morning, she's dead. Dakota's soul is captured by members of the Six, a group of people who are after the six demonic seals capable of bringing chaos into the world. In exchange for her recruitment and a chance at rebirth, she is asked to find the seals and get rid of Dashiell, a dragon lord who is hunting for the seals. When she learns that he's the one who had killed her, she is all for revenge. However, getting revenge isn't as easy as it seems. DASHIELL is her mate and he desires her. Danger encroaches as the line between good and evil is drawn. Dakota might have to sacrifice her happiness. How well can the duo fight this dangerous game of fate and untamed desires?

Karma is like a boomerang, what you give out would always come back to you. Bullshit. Absolute bullshit. Karma doesn't reciprocate what you give. She just gives. Indifferent to the consequence of her biased distributions. Why else would I be at the receiving end of a punishment I don't warrant? I've been beaten, belittled and my wings were clipped off by the person meant to teach me how to fly. And yet, I can't bring myself to hate those who have wronged me. For I'm nothing but a victim of ill fate and twisted vengeance. But would I ever get what I truly deserve? Or would karma keep being a bitch and forget that she owes me?

"Kenapa, Pak? Ada yang salah?" tanyaku. "Eh, nggak, nggak .. Cuma, kalian orang pertama yang menempati rumah ini semenjak ... " Pria tua itu terlihat gugup seolah tak ingin melanjutkan perkataannya. "Semenjak apa?" *** Entah kenapa aku tergerak untuk melangkahkan kakiku ke kamar gadis itu untuk melihatnya. Ia sedang berbaring sambil memejamkan matanya. Perlahan aku beranjak mendekatinya lalu duduk di ujung tempat tidurnya. Aku memperhatikan wajah gadis itu sesaat, ia tampak lelah. Aku tersenyum. Aku bahagia karena aku tak lagi sendirian di rumah ini.

Suamiku adalah operator di menara kontrol bandara. Di kehidupan sebelumnya, ketika cuaca buruk akibat badai petir membuat putri kami mengalami serangan jantung, aku segera menghubungi suamiku untuk mengatur agar pesawat yang kukemudikan bisa mendarat lebih dulu. Namun akibatnya, pesawat yang ditumpangi Wina, kekasih lama suamiku, terkena badai petir dan jatuh sehingga menyebabkan seluruh penumpang tewas. Semuanya berjalan seperti biasa seolah-olah tidak ada yang berubah. Sampai di hari ulang tahun putri kami, suamiku mengunci kami di rumah dan membakar tempat itu hidup-hidup. "Kalau bukan karena kamu mendarat lebih dulu, pesawat Wina nggak akan mengalami kecelakaan!" "Aku yakin, anakmu waktu itu baik-baik saja. Kamu cuma iri sama Wina, makanya kamu tega menyebabkan kematian ratusan orang yang nggak bersalah!" Aku dan putriku berusaha untuk melawan sekuat tenaga. Namun, semua usaha kami hanya sia-sia. Kami mati dalam kesakitan yang tak tertahankan. Saat membuka mata lagi, aku mendapati diriku kembali ke hari saat putriku mengalami serangan jantung. Kali ini, suamiku langsung memutus kontak denganku. Namun, saat dia mendengar putri kami benar-benar meninggal, dia mendadak kehilangan akal sehat.

Rumah tangga Maya berada di dalam ancaman kehancuran ketika adik satu ayahnya yang bernama Navita memutuskan untuk tinggal di rumahnya. Suami Maya yang bernama Refal, tiba-tiba mengalami perubahan sikap yang signifikan. Maya khawatir sekaligu cemburu berat kepada adik dan suaminya. Pada suatu malam, Maya tiba-tiba mendengar suara rintihan dari kamar sang adik. Rintihan erotis itu membuat Maya terbangun dari tidurnya. Betapa terkejutnya ketika Maya tidak mendapati sang suami berada di sebelahnya. Tak hanya itu, Maya juga mendengarkan suara lenguhan yang mirip sekali dengan suara suaminya.

À la cinquième année de mon mariage avec Thomas Mercier, la fille qu'il entretenait dans un hôtel a été exposée au grand jour, et tout le monde l'a su. Pour éviter qu'elle ne porte l'étiquette de « maîtresse », Thomas est venu me trouver avec les papiers de divorce en disant : « M. Laurent m'a aidé autrefois, et avant sa mort il m'a confié Claire. Maintenant que cette affaire a éclaté, je ne peux pas rester les bras croisés. » Toutes ces années, Claire a toujours été le premier choix de Thomas. Dans ma vie précédente, quand j'ai entendu ces paroles, je me suis effondrée en hurlant, refusant catégoriquement de divorcer. Jusqu'à ce que je développe une dépression sévère, et que Thomas, à cause d'une simple phrase de Claire : « Élodie n'a pas l'air malade », décide que je simulais, persuadé que je jouais la comédie. Il m'a piégée en me faisant passer pour infidèle et a directement demandé le divorce. C'est alors que j'ai compris que je ne pourrais jamais rivaliser avec cette dette de reconnaissance. Désespérée, j'ai mis fin à mes jours. Quand j'ai rouvert les yeux, j'ai signé sans hésitation ces papiers de divorce.