Ladybug Watching

On the day I was in heat, my childhood sweetheart stood me up. He only sent me a voice message, which said, “Willow, what do you mean you’re in heat? You’re just desperate for a man. Have some self-respect. Stop calling me!” Just as my fever spiked, pushing me to the edge of delirium, spectators watching my story flooded my vision with comments. [Sweetie, there are plenty of fish in the sea! Don’t be sad!] [Honey, look who’s walking in front of you. It’s Douglas Simus, the university heartthrob. He has the whole V-line and abs package, and he’s still a pure virgin boy!] Who? A V-line and abs? He should probably be able to satisfy me then. I struggled to open my eyes and saw a handsome man appear. Not bad. He smelled clean. I stopped him. “Do you want to hook up with me?”

Werewolves do not exist. The mating bond is all a figment of fiction, they do not exist. That was what Darya thought too. But she is in for a lot of surprises. ***** Watching her father get killed was something Darya never thought that she would get over, not until a very long time. Well a few months later, her step mother sells her off the mafia Don who jhad her father killed - and that was when her life as she knew it started falling apart. As if being bought was not enough, the Mafia proposes to Darya that she becomes his fake bride for a year and seeing this as an opportunity to avenge her father, she agrees. But what if her father was not who she thought he was? What if the man she hated wasnt responsible for his death? What if she starts discovering deeper secrets like oh - the man is a werewolf? But worse, what if shse starts falling in love with the man she had vowed to hate?

The richest woman in all of Jezelworth, Abby Davidson, was determined to marry my brother, Wallace Bourn. Everyone called Abby the "Black Widow", a cold-hearted woman who would do anything to get what she wanted. Anyone who married her was doomed to meet a tragic end. Wallace turned pale with fear, but I pulled him aside and said quietly, "I'll marry her in your place. But you have to stay in the countryside and guard my father's safe under his grave for three years. You can't open it before then." He thought the safe held a massive fortune. Grinning like a fool, he agreed without hesitation. Watching his greedy face, I couldn't help but laugh coldly inside. He'd better be ready for this. I couldn't wait to see if he could manage the "surprise" he'd find inside!

When my mother-in-law has a heart attack, my husband, who's a heart surgeon, is busy preparing food for his first love's cat. I call him and urge him to return to save my mother-in-law. He says icily, "What is wrong with you, Esther? How dare you curse my mother just to make me head home!" After that, he hangs up. My mother-in-law dies in surgery, yet he's busy watching a concert with his first love. When he returns the following day to see me holding an urn, he's so angry that he throws the bag he's holding at me. "Look at how Lexie was considerate enough to buy clothes for my mother. All you know how to do is get Mom to pull these dumb acts with you!" I sneer. His mother is already dead—what use are those clothes?

Blair Tanzel is pregnant and dumped by her boyfriend; he refuses to recognize the baby as his own. Blair was also kicked out by her mom and became homeless. To survive, Blair wanders from one city to another. She refused to abort the baby. She wanted to stay and care for Blair's only hope and future that lay in her belly. Fate brings Blair to the handsome billionaire, Axel Barney. Blair fell in love at first sight. However, Blair is afraid that Axel will reject her if Axel finds out she is pregnant. On the other hand, Axel Barney keeps one big secret. Axel had been secretly watching and following Blair for a long time. Axel is an alpha billionaire. He finds out about Blair's past and tries to get the girl and baby in her belly. What secret does Axel keep? Can Blair survive a complicated relationship with Axel while looking after the baby?

Before the wedding, my fiancé disappeared while camping with friends. I searched for him for an entire month, nearly losing my mind. But on Valentine's Day, a week before our wedding, I saw him at a romantic restaurant, hugging and kissing his childhood sweetheart. Jayden Corrick held the woman in his arms and said softly, "If this goes on, I don't even want to go back and marry Leah." Sophie Muller asked if he regretted disappearing—if he truly didn't plan on going back. He hesitated for a moment. "No regrets. Let's stay one more week. Our parents will cover for us anyway. When she's completely driven mad with worry, I'll show up again." I stood hidden among the crowd, watching their closeness, and gave a bitter smile. The next moment, I called home. "Don't bother looking for Jayden anymore. I'm never marrying him."

“Three wives. Three funerals. And now… I’m his fourth bride.” Everyone says Dominic Sterling is cursed. His first three wives died mysteriously, one after the other. I never planned to be his next bride, but with my family drowning in debt, I had no choice. Now I’m trapped in his mansion, surrounded by secrets I don’t understand. The halls feel haunted by the women who came before me, the staff watch me too closely, and Dominic himself… he’s a man I can’t figure out. Cold one moment, protective the next. And just when my heart starts betraying me, falling for him, I realize the past isn’t as buried as I thought. Someone is watching me. Someone wants me gone. If I don’t uncover the truth soon, I’ll become the next Sterling bride to meet her funeral.

"Do I scare you Jane ?" He suddenly asked after watching me like an eagle stalks his prey. I couldn't dare look him in the eye. I could only lower my gaze and fiddle with my fingers. He hummed again, a sound so pleasing to my ears, "tell me what you've heard about me." I immediately looked up, blinking at me, thrown off balance to see the amusement in his eyes. Was he being serious right now? "Cat got your tongue, little one?" He tilted a brow at me and I found myself blushing under the intensity of his gaze. "You're a monster." I squeaked, waiting for him to grow enraged and send me to the land of the dead. Jane Miller was sold to the cold, ruthless Lycan King to give him an heir. Would she survive the sinister plans of his arranged mate?

On the day Shane Jackson and I registered our marriage, his infatuated secretary pushed me off a building. I fractured two ribs, lost my baby instantly, and slipped into a coma. Shane stayed by my side and told everyone I was his only wife, never leaving my bedside. But when no one was watching, he pressed that secretary against the hospital bed and murmured, "If it weren't for you, Lily and I would already have a three-year-old child. You owe us a baby. This is what you must repay her." Joanna Rogers trembled in his arms, eyes full of tears. "I'm sorry, Mr. Jackson. I loved you too much. I'll accept whatever punishment you give me." A moment later, I heard their heavy breathing. My eyes, which had been shut for three years, suddenly opened. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

I sat at the table, watching the food grow cold, much like my heart. Today was my birthday. It was also Leslie Buck's birthday—Katherine White's childhood sweetheart. I unlocked my phone and opened Leslie's social media page. As expected, a new post awaited me. "Grateful to have you by my side for every birthday. Let's keep our promise to celebrate every one of them together in the future!" The photo showed two hands forming a heart in front of a cake. One of them was Katherine's. I could tell from the bracelet she wore. It was the one I had given her. I gave the post a like, then set my phone aside. Without hesitation, I dumped the dishes Katherine liked into the trash and went out to a restaurant to order the food I liked, celebrating my birthday alone. From now on, I would make sure to enjoy every birthday of mine.