Long Way Down Rules

The hospital suddenly called to inform me that the kidney I had been scheduled to receive had been transferred—by my husband—to his first love. I confronted him. He replied casually, "It's just one kidney. Are you really in such a hurry? Daphne needs it more, so let her have it first. You're not going to die anytime soon anyway!" I stood there holding the medical report proving he had uremia, and in that moment, my three-year marriage felt like a joke. Fine. He was right. I wasn't the one who was sick—so what was I rushing for?

I stare at the email on my screen, unable to move my fingers. Tomorrow is our company's crucial product launch, and I just learn that the patent for the algorithm I spent three years developing is now filed under Matthew Ashford's new assistant, Sophie Bennett. I storm into Matthew's office to confront him. Sophie sits on his desk with her legs crossed, looking completely innocent. She claims that she filled out the form by mistake. "It's just a clerical error. The patent still belongs to the company. What's the big deal?" Matthew stands up from his chair, positioning himself in front of Sophie. I can't believe what I am hearing. "Matthew, this is my research!" "Emma, you're thirty-five. Why are you picking a fight with a twenty-three-year-old intern?" He frowns. Then, he turns to Sophie. "Starting tomorrow, you're the new CTO. Emma needs… some time off." I'm utterly stunned. A decade of marriage and five years dedicated to building a company together have been shattered by a few casual words from him. Thirty minutes later, Sophie posts a photo on social media of herself sitting on Matthew's lap. They are both clinking champagne glasses. "So lucky to have the best boss ever. I'll make sure to be his loyal kitten." Below that, Matthew leaves a comment—three red heart emojis. I shut my laptop and pick up my phone. "Hello. Is this Mr. David Langley from Novara Group of Sundale Valley? This is Emma Whitmore. I've changed my mind. I'm ready to join you." I pause. "And by the way, about that unreleased algorithm upgrade, I have the complete technical blueprint. Make me an offer." Later, I fly to Tallisport with an eight-figure check in hand, while Matthew goes frantic trying to find me.

After their divorce, Amelia Jenson finds herself plagued by her ex-husband's relentless pursuits. Despite his promises to take care of her for the rest of her life, Amelia knows she could never trust a man like Liam Prescott, let alone allow him to abduct her back into the Prescott family. Faced with Liam's ultimatums, she eventually concedes. Perhaps her husband, regardless of past, present, or future, could only really be Liam. Perhaps she just has to learn to live with it and eventually … him.

To die a thousand deaths in the name of love, was the fate given to Edith, a young witch. "I should have died, but the world would have been in chaos and ruins." Turning his back on the heavens, Connor finds himself rescuing Edith from the wolves, Goblins and other mystical creatures, only to be the one to have her blood on his hands. A battle over centuries, for power between the magical beings will now come to an end. As the years went by, guardians were formed and now Connor has a chance to save the love of his life and banish the evil wolf prince, Alistair.

Rogues took me while I was protecting my mate, Alpha Arthur. I came back three years later, only to find Arthur mated to my sister, Calista. My son, Leo, didn't recognize me. He only saw Calista as his real mother. Broken, I forced Arthur to banish Calista with the Elders' support, using my past contributions as leverage. But she died in a weak, outlying pack. Poisoned. After her death, Leo hated me for it. Arthur never blamed me, though. He just kept telling me everything would be okay. But when our pack was attacked again, he threw me to our enemies without hesitation. Left me to die. As I lay dying, I heard him snarl through gritted teeth. "If you hadn't come back, Calista would have been my mate for life!" My heart turned to ash. Then, I opened my eyes. I was back. Back to the day I returned after being gone for three years. This time, I looked at Arthur shielding Calista, with Leo clinging to her. "I sever our mate bond. From this day on, I am done with all of you."

Dylan is torn in between Maeve and Alyssa. He meets and falls in love with Alyssa the first day they bump into each other at the coffee shop he was working at back in chicago before his mom dies and they have to relocate to England to stay with his aunt Sue and his younger sister's Melissa and Alicia, while there he discovers a lot about his biological dad whom he never knew existed and Maeve helps him all along. He falls for her but he kind of still has feelings for Alyssa, Maeve's best friend, a lot of secrets between the two families but at the end of it all he realizes that she had always been the one that he always loved and nothing was going to change the fact that she was all he ever wanted to have

On the day of the mating ceremony, I'm supposed to be marked by William Ernst and become the Luna of the Shadow pack. However, Annie Denver, my younger twin sister, suddenly comes back from abroad. Dad, Mom, and William end up abandoning me, choosing to pick her up from the airport. While Annie posts a family photo on Facebook, flaunting how everyone in the family loves her, my family cuts me off whenever I try to contact them through mind-link. They end up closing the mind-link. After calling countless times, William finally accepts my call and asks me to stop rushing him. He tells me that today's mating ceremony is canceled and will be rescheduled on another date. My dearest parents, brother, and the man I love the most all turn me into the laughingstock of the entire pack—and the most ridiculous bride of all. Despite being laughed at, I didn't cry or make a scene. After taking care of everything, I write a number in my journal—the 99th time. This is the 99th time they have disappointed me. From this moment on, I won't beg for their love anymore. I fill out an application for Arcetic expedition, ready to leave them. They all think that my silence and constant compromises with Annie mean I've matured. They fail to realize that I'm disappointed to the core. I am leaving for good.

My husband, Lawrence Schwartz, and I were both liars. He lied to me, saying he would forget his first love, yet his phone is filled with photos of her. I lied to him, saying I would never leave, while secretly planning a future without him. A month ago, I tricked Lawrence into signing the divorce papers. Today was the final day to complete the entire divorce process.. Three hours left. I packed all my luggage and bought a plane ticket for the next day. Two hours left. I cut up every photo of us together, leaving only myself in the album. Last hour. I thought about leaving a message, then decided against it. Today marked the tenth year I had loved him and the first day I left him.

For eight years, I was James Carter's secretary and secret lover. Eight years of giving him my heart completely. I truly believed he loved me back - he was always tender and attentive when we were intimate, seemingly caring about my every need and desire. But then I overheard him telling others, "She's nothing but a stand-in, just someone to satisfy my physical needs when I'm bored. Did you really think I would marry her?" In that moment, I finally found the strength to let go and stop loving him. I handed in my resignation and walked away from it all. Yet after my whirlwind marriage to someone else, why did he suddenly start searching for me desperately across the city? Now he's here with tears in his eyes, claiming I'm the one he truly loves? Wasn't I just his convenient replacement all along?

She gave them everything—her love, her trust, her time. But in the end, it wasn’t enough. After eight years of marriage and five years of motherhood, Maya’s world shattered. Her son cried out for another woman to be his mother, and her husband brushed it off like it meant nothing. But Maya knew—children don’t lie. So she made the hardest decision of her life: she let them go. Everyone thought she’d come crawling back, broken and regretful. But instead of falling apart, Maya rose stronger than ever. She filed for divorce without looking back and poured her heart into rebuilding her life. Now, months later, when her ex shows up with their son, asking her to come home, Maya is no longer the woman who once begged for love. She’s a woman with her own name, her own strength, and a future that doesn’t include them. It's okay... And makes sense. But, they wants to be part of that her world