Lightning Degree

When I'm paying the pension for my jobless wife, Lilith Ingram, I accidentally find out that she's had a job this whole time. She's paid a salary of two thousand dollars, which is wired into her personal bank account. Every month, the money will be transferred elsewhere, leaving her without a single cent. I've never seen the money before. Back when our daughter, Maisy Ingram, was severely ill, we were 200 dollars short to pay for her hospital bills. I was so poor that I had to sell my blood and beg everyone around me just to get them to lend me money. But during that time, Lilith never thought of sharing the burden with me. She merely comforted me with empty words before transferring two thousand dollars to her first love, Hayden Grant, the next day. Our marriage of 30 years is reduced to nothing but a laughingstock. I place the divorce agreement that I've printed out in front of Lilith. It's a silent confrontation between us. "Must you really resort to this method?" Lilith snaps impatiently. "It's just two thousand dollars! You have an annual salary of 200 thousand dollars! Why care so much about chum change?" Even Maisy takes her side by calling me a petty, stingy geezer. "Everyone has an unattainable first love when they're still young! You should be grateful that Hayden has been holding back his urges without crossing the line for so many years!" I feel as though I got struck by lightning at that moment. It's then that I belatedly realize I'm the only outsider in this family. "Getting a divorce is fine by me. Hayden's getting on with the years. I just want to take care of him and send him off when his time eventually arrives." Maisy adapts a righteous tone. "As compensation for me, I get the house, the car, and the savings. You're leaving this marriage without a single cent under your name."

On our seventh year anniversary, my girlfriend, Rachel Winters, forces me to drink a glass of drugged champagne before dumping me onto the bed of an 80-year-old widow. "It's Bryon's first time attending a business meeting. He's still pure and oblivious, so he doesn't know how to satisfy an older widow's insatiable desire. "I have no choice but to ask you to seal this business deal on his behalf. Think of this as your way of helping me repay Bryon's family for raising me since young. "Don't worry, Corey. No one will know about this." After that, Rachel turns off the lights and leaves the room while ignoring my pleas for help. But the next day, the video of me and the widow going at it is spread across the Internet. My colleagues look down on me for resorting to such underhanded methods just to get promoted. They can't believe that I'm able to stomach the idea of sleeping with an 80-year-old widow. Thanks to the video, the company's reputation is greatly affected. Rachel holds a press conference immediately to address the issue. I thought she'd defend me, but I didn't expect her to change her tune. "I've already discussed this matter with the Dalton family. Corey Dalton shall take responsibility for what he's done to the widow. As for me, I will get engaged to Bryon Parson." I feel as though lightning has struck me on the spot. I've founded this company with Rachel and has stuck by her side through thick and thin, resulting in us rising as the new-time business moguls. But in the end, she decides to ditch me. "Corey, if you really want to stay by my side, you can remain as my side piece. In exchange, I'll help you shake that old woman off your tail." As I meet Rachel's smug gaze, I shake my head decisively. "I've already thought things through and decided that I'll be marrying the widow."

WARNING: Matured Content. Read at your own risk. Credits to Carla Agus for my book cover. <3 He was labeled as taciturn man, because during the course of his 30-year life, he spoke less and acted more according to his own convictions and ideas. Aslan Jade Lopez was satisfied and happy in his home together with his dog, Midnight. He was already standing on his own two feet when he finished his degree and decided to persue his own career. Ngunit dahil likas na bukas ang kaniyang isipin mula pa noong bata ay hindi naman niya sinasarado ang mga posibilidad na may mga magbabago sa kaniya basta ang nasa isip niya, he was far different from the others. When Aslan Jade finally met the guy who made him realize how different he can be, even more than he was before, he was craving a fantasy, something fresh and exquisite. He has been one of the most dangerous men in the underground realm since he was in his early teen. Kazimir David Cirillo built an empire where he can and must feed his fantasies. But when he caught a glimpse of a pair of lustful eyes of a guy who had caught his facination, his sexual urge became even stronger. Ginawa lahat ni David para mapasa kaniya ang misteryosong binata na nagmamay ari ng mga matang isang beses pa lang niyang nakita ngunit nagpatigas sa kaniyang pagkalalaki, pero paano kung ang paraan na ito ay humantong sa dahas na naging bangungot para kay Aslan Jade? Will Aslan continuously desire David after learning the truth about his worst nightmare? Or will he let his fantasy instead to decide for an option- to never let go of David?

Timotheo George Yves is a 27-year-old heir to a luxury hotel empire with a degree in Engineering. In his life, he can do whatever he wants… money is never a problem to him. Pero thrill is not there anymore at pakiramdam niya ay nakakulong siya sa expectations ng kanyang pamilya. To escape from his parents’ manipulative hands, he left the city and starts posing as "Timo," isang barista sa malayong lugar na sa tingin nya ay hindi na sya mahahanap ng kanyang mga magulang. Isang regular customer si Ashanti Veronica Sullivan sa cafe kung saan nagtatrabaho si Timo. Isang passionate na social worker si Ash na may layuning tulungan ang mga taong nasa baba katulad niya. Since Timo met Ash, he wondered what kind of person Ash is until he realized he became curious of her more. They become friends at kalaunan ay nahulog ang puso ni Timo kay Ash. Far from Timo’s expectation, his parents find out about his relationship with Ash at ang mga magulang niya ay hindi sang-ayon sa kanilang relasyon. They feared Ash will bring Tim to his downfall and will cause disgrace to their family. Lalong gumulo ang sitwasyon ng ang kanyang lolo ay nagdagdag ng clause sa kanyang will: Timo must marry a woman of "modest means" within six months para makuha ang kanyang mana. Timo’s parents force him to be with someone who is on their level, but he is against it. Timo doesn't have a choice, but to hide his true identity from Ash, risking their relationship. Samantala, muling nagbalik ang manipulative ex-fiancé ni Ash, si Keanu Florian Domingo, na nagbabantang ibunyag ang sikreto ni Timotheo. As the deadline nears, Timotheo must confront his family's prejudices at kailangan niyang pumili sa pagitan ng kanyang inheritance o kinabukasan kasama si Ash.

The Don of the Vito family, Damiano Vito, has broken his wedding vows by cheating on me with the daughter of the rival mafia family, Bianca Sorace, while I'm still pregnant with his heir. He ends up executing Bianca with his own hands in order to reassure me as well as provide my family, the Cappas, with a satisfactory answer. My parents advise me, "Now that Damiano has returned to your side, you mustn't kick up a fuss for the sake of both families' interests." But since then, I've developed an obsession over cleanliness. Any form of physical contact is capable of making me dry-heave out of discomfort. Since I can't take any medication at all, I can only spend my days venting my stress by demanding that everything be disinfected before touching me. Damiano, who's known for having a violent temperament, is willing to keep disinfecting himself repeatedly for my sake. If he needs to make physical contact with me, he'll wear gloves. Whenever he enters my room, he has to change into a biohazard suit. No matter how hot and stuffy it gets under the suit, he doesn't utter a word of complaint. "It's fine. I was the one who broke the wedding vows first, anyway." Finally, the moment I command Damiano to wash his hands yet again, he loses control of himself before me. He even goes so far as to shatter the ashtray right before my eyes. "That's enough! All I did was make the mistake every man is capable of making! Must you humiliate me to this degree? How does that make me a filthy man?" Damiano deliberately allows his subordinates, who are drenched in blood, to throw a party in the estate, thinking that it serves as a punishment for my obsession over cleanliness. He intends to force me to yield to him by threatening the baby in my belly. Thanks to the nonstop aggravation, I feel intense pain flaring from my abdomen. Soon, blood keeps oozing down my inner thighs beneath my skirt. But at the same time, I feel a sense of relief that I've never felt before. "Let's get a divorce, Damiano."

Everyone knows that the mafia Don's only son, Antonio Gatti, gets to choose a completely new mistress of his own once every three months. Women who are in dire need of money and have no other option left in life will flock to Antonio's wife, Martina Russo, to apply for the position. If they get to spend a night with Antonio, they'll receive a million dollars. Those who are capable of giving birth to his heir will receive half of his family fortune. There are so many women who want to latch onto Antonio as their ticket to wealth. As for me, Martina, I become the hottest piece of gossip in the entire mafia underworld. "Just what sort of lethal leverage does the Gatti family have over Martina to the point that she can tolerate her husband's whims to this degree?" Everyone is very sure that I will submit to the Gatti family's influence and live a humiliating life for as long as I draw breath. That is, until Antonio brings a young woman named Camilla Ferrara home one day. Camilla is an ordinary woman, and yet she's capable of transforming Antonio, a cold-blooded and violent man, into a completely different person. He gets rid of all his other mistresses for her sake. He cleanses every inch of himself three whole times because she claims that he's filthy. Antonio has become obsessed with Camilla. He tells me, "Camilla is a pure and innocent angel; unlike you, whose hands are completely stained with filthy blood. Your heart is as dirty as the rest of you." He seems to have forgotten that I've done those filthy things just so I can get rid of all the obstacles in his way in order to protect the Gatti family's legacy. On the day Mamma passed away from her illness, Antonio prepared a huge fireworks show that's capable of lighting up the entire sky above New Wis City just to celebrate Camilla's birthday. After that, I find out that Antonio has the gall to dump my mamma's ashes into the fireworks assembly on Camilla's birthday. They end up combusting alongside the rest of the fireworks that night. I toss the divorce agreement in his face with all my might. At the same time, I unlatch the safety on the pistol that's hidden in my sleeve before pointing it at him and Camilla. "I'm giving you two choices right now. Option one—sign the divorce agreement and file for a divorce with me, which entitles me to half of the Gatti family's fortune. Option two—die together with your beloved mistress so that you can go to hell and apologize to Mamma there."