Life Without Hope: A New Chapter Novels & Stories

Even after being married for three years, my husband treats me like a stranger. When I throw up blood from pregnancy complications, he's in the prayer room chanting for his foster sister, Yvie Springton. He accuses me of being dramatic. If Yvie so much as gets a headache, he drops everything and flies overseas to be by her side. When his parents are in critical condition after a car crash, I beg him to go see them one last time. But what does he do? He claims I'm cursing Yvie. When I go into early labor and cling to life after giving birth to our son, he posts a photo of his international boarding pass on social media. At his parents' funeral, he returns to the country with Yvie and demands I leave the marriage with nothing. The day our divorce finalizes, he holds a wedding ceremony with her. I bury his parents alone. Then, at an exclusive auction, dead set on winning the famous painting for Yvie, he offered a staggering price. Even his accounts are frozen. That's when he finally realizes he's been disowned by the Springton family. His eyes are bloodshot, and he's furious as he demands answers. I simply gesture for my lawyer to step forward. He says, "Mr. Springton, take a look at this will."

Four years after my death, the true heiress won the Best Actress award, but her sex tape was once again spread like wildfire. My Best Actor boyfriend, Nicholas Jennings, kicked open the rented house where I used to live, hoping to make me clarify once again that it was me in the video, but all he saw was a complete mess. The landlord happened to pass by and, upon his inquiry, scolded him, "You’re talking about Astrid Rhode? She died four years ago! A man saw the sex tape posted online and came here to have some fun with her, but she would rather die than comply. In a fit of rage, he killed her." Nicholas did not believe it at all. He kicked our couple's mugs. "Astrid made you say that, didn't she? She stole Maddie's life just because she looked like her. Did she think that helping Maddie once would atone for her sins? Tell her that none of the children in her orphanage will live if I don't see her clarification video in two days!" He strode away, and I shook my head with a wry smile. The orphanage had long since been reduced to ashes in the fire, and the children had already passed on to their next lives. I had made a deal with Death, wanting to come back and see him one last time. However, now, it seemed that the deal was better left undone.

My parents suddenly told me that we were living in a novel. I was the frail and favored younger brother destined to get into college, marry my childhood sweetheart, and live an easy life. My older brother, Daniel Luther, on the other hand, was the expendable one. He was destined to fail his SAT and be beaten to death. My parents said that if they wanted to save him, they had to make sure he got into college. They did everything they could to help him, but he still failed his SAT. Meanwhile, I got into the same college as my childhood sweetheart, Priscilla Grimmie, through my own hard work. That night, my parents snatched my college acceptance letter and locked me in a cellar under the backyard. "Let your brother take your place and go to college first. You can retake your exams next year." My foot slipped, and I hit my head hard against a canning jar. Warm blood trickled down my neck. I shouted, "Mom, it hurts!" She didn't even turn around. "Caleb, stop it! Your brother is one step away from his dreams!" Their footsteps gradually faded. I slowly closed my eyes. The next time I opened my eyes, I was already floating in midair.

"I don't want to go with you on this business trip," Lucy Landon said at the dinner table. Her voice was calm, so calm that no one could sense anything unusual. Steven Cooper's trip was set for June 1st. It wasn't their wedding anniversary, nor was it anyone's birthday. Just an ordinary Children's Day. Three days ago, she had stumbled upon a voice message on Steven's phone. A child's soft and childish voice had said, "Daddy, for Children's Day, I want to go to Maldove to see the fishes!"

A week before our wedding, my fiancee announces that she is pregnant using my younger brother's frozen sperm. "I'm grateful that our love can carry on in another way," she gushes on social media, showing off the test results. My brother replies, "Meeting you was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me." Then Mom chimes in. "Jenny, you've been through so much. Nathan's apartment should be under your name alone." I don't argue and simply reply with a single word—"Congratulations". My phone rings almost seconds later. "Your brother can't have kids anymore. It's just one child, and it's still related to you. Why are you being so petty?" she snaps. I laugh under my breath, hang up, and dial another number. "Want to get married?"

All the werewolves claim that I'm born lucky. After all, I, a lowly Omega, get to become the mate of a powerful Alpha named Kael Dwyer. Only my five-year-old daughter, Lyra Dwyer, keeps staring at me with the eyes that seem to be able to discern everything. When Kael's mistress, Seraphina Ashwood, uses the spring water blessed by the Moon Goddess while wearing my robe after moving into the pack house, Lyra wakes me up in the middle of the night. "Mother, why exactly are you still staying with an Alpha that reeks of betrayal?" Stunned, I ask, "What did you just say?" Lyra sighs in return. "In my previous life, I had lived till I turned 25 years old. I watched you endure everything for the rest of your life. "Can you please hear me out this time and reject the bond between you and that Alpha dad of mine? Once you're done, I'll introduce you to an actual fated mate. He's more handsome and powerful than Dad. Most importantly, he's devoted to you and only you."

"Is this the life-like doll Paige got me as a Christmas present? Wow, it looks just like that beautiful best friend of hers…" My best friend's father mistakes me for the Christmas present she has prepared for him. Things start to heat up in the room. The man eagerly spreads my legs, ready to experience the scalp-crawling pleasure I can bring to him.

After my boyfriend risked his life to save me in a fire, I proposed to him. But he refused, saying he was burdened with massive debt and wasn’t worthy of me. From then on, I worked five jobs a day, just to pay off what he owed as soon as possible. But fate had other plans. I was diagnosed with brain cancer. When I finally saved enough and went to say goodbye, I overheard his conversation with his friends. “The heir of the Law family, pretending to be broke in front of some poor girl. Seriously?” “She’s worked herself to the point of coughing up blood. You really don’t feel anything?” Landon Law curved his lips into a faint smile. “This is just a test for her. Once we’re married, I’ll treat her well.” “And what about Clara Shaw? She’s coming back soon. That rich girl has been talking about marrying you for years.” After a long silence, he finally spoke. “They’ve both been through hard times with me. I can’t let either of them down.” “But Clara’s fragile. She can’t handle any shock. She wouldn’t survive without me. I have to protect her. “Stella is understanding. As long as I give her the position of Mrs. Law, she’ll accept it.” The moment I heard that, everything went black, and I collapsed. When I woke up again, Landon was gripping my hand tightly. “Stella, don’t be afraid! Even if I lose everything, I’ll make sure you get treated!” A mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind. [Congratulations. You have been granted the ability to detect lies.] [Accumulate more than five detected lies from the male lead to exchange for a full recovery from brain cancer.]

In a world where only he-wolves were allowed to be Alphas, Seleste Rivas, the only daughter of the Alpha of the Lighttail Banes Pack, couldn't sit still. She knew she had what it took to be a powerful Alpha and would do anything to achieve her goal, including disguising herself as a he-wolf and sneaking into The Ravenwood Academy, where all the next Alpha-in-lines needed to be trained before settling into their roles. But nothing went according to her plans. On her first day, she caught the scents of her mates, the twin brothers of one of the strongest packs, the Wintercrown Shadows Pack. As Seleste navigated the treacherous world of dominance battles, academic rivalries, and the ever-present danger of exposure, especially when she found out her dorm mate was also her mate, she found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She had come for a task, a goal, one she knew she couldn't deviate from. But their matebonds drew her closer, their touches sent her skin ablaze. Every heartbeat risked betrayal, every glance was a gamble. Every slip of her mask could shatter not only her dream, but also her life and those she held dear. And the worst part? She even had a bigger secret than being a she-wolf in a place full of he-wolves. When she uncovered conspiracies within the Ravenwood Academy, would her mates shun her? Or helped her? Would she show her true power and self to save everyone else? In a world where power was everything, Seleste must choose whether to follow tradition or carve a new path for every other she-wolf, even if it meant tearing down the very walls built to keep her kind out, even if it meant sacrificing herself for it. Coverart by @Rainygraphic

A promise that Phyllis Lu made when she was only five years old will lead her to marry her superstar idol. If she was in love with the said idol, she would be extremely happy. However, her heart is with someone else. She had an unrequited love with her internet friend, whom she had never even met. How will she lead a married life if she has another person in her heart?