Lori Gottlieb Illness Novels & Stories

I was Claire Vitale, the lost daughter they forgot, the bride my lover betrayed—and the dying girl they failed to notice. For five long years, I lived like a stranger in my own home. The Vitale mansion was a beautiful prison, where every kind word hid a lie, every promise was false, and even Lawrence, the man I was supposed to marry, cared more for Vanessa than for me. None of them saw how my body weakened each day, how the pain grew sharper. They were too busy watching their precious Vanessa. Vanessa—the perfect adopted daughter, was the girl my parents loved more than me. She came into our family when I was lost, and when I returned, I found my place already taken—by her. Just as the illness was quietly taking my future. Now she was gone, and they all pointed fingers at me, convinced I was behind her disappearance. The machine they strapped to my head would pull memories straight from my mind. "Where is she?" my father roared. My mother sobbed in the corner. Lawrence, my fiancé, stood silent—his accusing eyes louder than any shout. But I knew the truth would shock them—how Vanessa hurt me, how she faked accidents, how she made sure no one ever believed me. The machine would show them everything. As the machine began its work, I trembled—from fear and exhaustion. After all these years of being unheard, would they finally see?

Eight months pregnant and abandoned by the Alpha who swore to protect her—Ava's only crime was refusing to sacrifice their child. Ava never imagined her fated mate would become her greatest betrayer. When Alpha Rowan Thorne's first love returns with a terminal illness, he casts his pregnant Luna aside. A high-risk pregnancy becomes his excuse, terminate the pup or leave. Ava refuses. Stripped of her title, replaced by another woman, and confined like a prisoner, Ava endures until the unthinkable: abandoned during labor, driven into rogue territory by traitorous guards, she delivers her baby alone in a blood-soaked car as death circles closer. She should have died that night. Instead, she survived. Five years later, Ava has become everything Rowan never believed possible. A powerful wolf, a renowned healer, and a woman who owes him nothing. The daughter she birthed in agony was lost forever. Or so she thought. When a small stowaway tumbles from Ava's luggage at a council meeting calling her "Mommy," two impossible truths collide: her daughter is alive and has been raised by the Alpha who left them both to die. Rowan stands before her, desperate and shattered, claiming he searched endlessly and thought her dead. But Ava remembers the locked doors, the cruel choices, the forest where he sent her to her grave. He wants forgiveness. She wants him gone. But their daughter's tears might break them both and force a reckoning neither can escape.

Antonio Rivera finally finds out that I haven't asked him for money in a week. For once, he sends me a text message to compliment me. "Darling, you've finally learned how to become a good Donna. I've had my men deliver this week's worth of miracle drugs to your mother's ward. As long as you remain docile and don't be greedy, I'll give you anything you want." What he doesn't know is that I'm printing out a divorce agreement when I receive his message while wearing an old dress from three years ago. No one will believe that I, the Donna of the Rivera family, have to ask Antonio's Consigliere, Elena Gallo, for money even when I need to buy myself some tampons. Hell, I have to apply for a leave request three days in advance if I wish to leave my home. Antonio keeps telling me that he's doing this to protect me. "It's too dangerous outside, sweetheart. All you have to do is stay at home like a good girl you are." But one week ago, Mom's illness took a turn for the worse. I begged Elena to skip the request and let me out of the villa. Elena, however, dragged out my request for seven long days. Only when Mom died did she finally permit me to leave. Miracle drugs? My mom is already dead. I'm no longer tolerating anyone or anything anymore.

In a world filled with secrets and danger, Anya finds herself trapped between her haunting past and a future teetering on the edge of darkness. Struggling with the burden of an unknown illness and a tragic history, she seeks solace within the confines of her fractured heart. But when an attempt on her life reveals a web of betrayal and deceit, Anya's fragile existence is shattered. She learned that she was to be sold to the ruthless Russian mafia boss who was more cruel that her wicked uncle. But when she tried to run away, she ended up in the arms of the waiting mafia boss and that shattered her. The ruthless capo, Vincenzo, unexpectedly becomes her ally, unravelling a side of him she never knew existed. As they navigate through a treacherous underworld, they discover a shared strength that defies all odds. Together, they embark on a journey of discovery, where past and present collide, and the lines between trust and betrayal blur. As they inch closer to the truth, Anya's determination intensifies, and she realizes she is no longer willing to be a victim. She will stop at nothing to expose the darkness that threatens to consume her. In this gripping tale of resilience, love, and redemption, Anya must confront her deepest fears, confront the demons of her past, and find the strength to fight for justice. Will she uncover the truth and find the freedom she seeks, or will the shadows of her past devour her once more? "Tainted Desires" is a captivating suspense novel that explores the intricate dance between secrets, loyalty, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to reclaim her life. Prepare to be enthralled by a tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, heart-stopping revelation.

Half a year into my death, my wife, Serena Beckett, wants me to donate my kidney to William Clark, her heavily ill first love. Serena smashes my tombstone like a madwoman in the graveyard. Then, she kicks the tokens aside. "He's dead? What sort of sick joke is this? Jason Shaw is a coward! He definitely doesn't have the guts to die! "I think he just doesn't want to save William's life! To think that he actually roped you guys into putting up this act just to pretend that he's actually dead!" Serena is furious, to say the least. The graveyard's staff members are so frightened that they dare not speak up at all. A newly-recruited staff member finally muster the courage to say something. "Ma'am, Mr. Shaw really is dead. Apparently, he died in the donation surgery that had taken place half a year ago… He—" "Shut up!" Serena slaps him while cutting him off. "You really think I'll believe that bullshit? Tell him that if he doesn't show his face in three days, his little sister can forget about getting off the surgical table alive! I mean what I said!" With a dark expression, Serena turns on her heel and leaves angrily afterward. But the staff member looks toward another tombstone not far away. Then, he lets out a heavy sigh. "It's a shame that his sister has already died due to her illness taking a turn for the worse."

Two years ago, as a graduate of Werewolf Medical School, I volunteered to go to the most remote and poorest pack, as it had always been my dream to help werewolf patients in need. I heard from my teacher that the werewolves in the Rogue Pack were the poorest and that their living conditions were the worst. Most of the werewolves there were old and weak, so I volunteered to go to that pack as soon as I graduated. After I arrived, I helped them build an infirmary and even set up a blood station. Every year, I led them in voluntary blood donations. But one time—right after I had taken a short break following a blood donation—they turned on me. They slandered me, calling me a selfish and heartless healer. Worse still, they accused me of faking illness, claiming I was lying comfortably in bed while patients were dying—refusing to lift a finger to save them. Not only that, they stormed into the infirmary, seized all my herbs and equipment, and completely trashed the place I had built for them with my own hands. Recalling the days I had spent day and night healing them—only to see my infirmary destroyed and my dream shattered—I let out a bitter smile. I picked up the phone and called the dean of my home pack. "I'm ready to return," I said. "I want to serve the patients in our own pack." Then, without a trace of regret, I left that place behind. However, after I gave up, the whole pack regretted it and begged me to return.

While we were scuba diving, my boyfriend, Raphael Carlisle, ripped off my oxygen mask and put it on his childhood friend, Lucia Fairchild, whose mask had started leaking. I was left thrashing helplessly in the freezing water. Just as I thought it was over, Raphael's younger brother, Gabriel Carlisle, swam over, breathed life into me, and brought me back to the surface. After he saved me, he presented me with the purple diamond ring he designed himself and proposed, "For as long as I live, I'll never let you face danger again." I believed that he was my one true love, so I married him, leaving my job behind to focus on starting a family. On the day Lucia was given a critical condition notice, I ended up in a car accident. As I lay half-conscious on the hospital bed, I overheard Gabriel talking with Raphael. "Get a doctor to induce labor right away! Lucia's illness can only be treated with a stem cell transplant from umbilical cord blood. The only reason I got Phoebe pregnant was for this very day." "But she's carrying our bloodline! How could you have someone hit her with a car?" Raphael yelled. Gabriel replied, "Lucy matters more to me! As for Phoebe, I can spoil her rotten once she wakes up." At that moment, I realized the love I held on to was nothing but a lie. If that was the case, I'd just leave.

Scholarship student Zara Corven came to Blackthorn University for a fresh start, desperate to escape a scandal that nearly destroyed her life. But Blackthorn is ruled by the untouchable elite, and Zara is an outsider until Damon Thorne, the school’s golden boy, suddenly claims her as his own. He drags her into a fake relationship, promising to protect her secrets in exchange for her playing the perfect girlfriend. ​The arrangement comes with one condition: stay away from Kai Ryder. ​Kai is Zara’s academic rival, the boy who seemed determined to make her life hell. Yet, between heated arguments and late night conversations, Zara sees the broken boy behind the arrogance. The night he cries in front of her is the night she realizes she’s falling for him. But the arrival of Elias, her long lost best friend who confesses his love, complicates everything. After a blurred night at a party, Elias is forced to watch Zara stand beside Damon the brother he has always hated. ​Jealousy turns love dark. Soon, the video Zara tried to bury is leaked to the entire university by the person she trusted most. Her reputation is ruined, but instead of ending the fake ruse with Damon, Zara stays—this time, to make Kai jealous. ​Just as Zara finally chooses the boy she truly loves, her life shatters. A sudden illness wipes her memory, leaving her with only one "fact": She is Damon Thorne’s girlfriend. She forgets the betrayal, the secrets, and the boy she gave her heart to. When the truth finally resurfaces, who will she choose?

In my first life, I believed love was salvation. I tore my future apart for two men who had grown up beside me—Marcus Black and Damian Knight. I chose one of them, only to be abandoned on my wedding day for Elena Rivers. My grandmother died that same day, shattered by grief. When I was at my lowest, the other man took my hand and promised he would never betray me. I believed him. I married him. And slowly, my world went cold. I thought his distance was regret. I thought my failing health was fate. Until the night I was dying, and I watched him run past me—to save Elena, whose injuries were nothing more than a scratch. That was when I understood. My life had never been a love story. It was a carefully scripted game. After my death, I learned the truth: Marcus and Damian had already written their wills, leaving everything to Elena Rivers. They had sabotaged my education, manipulated my career, and even fabricated a chronic illness to keep me weak, dependent, and easy to control. They never wanted me to succeed. They only wanted me quiet—so Elena could shine. But fate gave me another chance. This time, I tore up my admission letter to Harvard. This time, I rejected their confessions before they could cage me again. In this life, I will not be the woman they use, betray, or discard. I will live for myself. And I will never walk the same path twice.

My twin sister, Rebecca Shaffer, was kidnapped while saving me. The trauma left her with a mental illness that made her lash out at everyone around her. The only person who could get close to her, the only one who could calm her down, was my husband, Ezekiel Roberts. For the sake of her recovery, my parents insisted that Rebecca move into the master bedroom of my newlywed home. Whenever Ezekiel and I were intimate, Rebecca would lose control and throw things at me. Then, Ezekiel would scoop her up in his arms and carry her into the bedroom, soothing her with gentle words. Everyone kept telling me the same thing. "If Rebecca hadn't tried to save you, she wouldn't be like this now. You owe her this much!" I had no response to that, so I gave in again and again. That was, until I accidentally overheard a conversation between Rebecca and my parents. "How much longer do I have to keep pretending to be crazy? I'm so sick of sneaking around like this!" My parents looked at her with sympathy in their eyes. Ezekiel gently caressed her stomach and said, "Don't worry. I won't let Rebecca or the baby suffer even a little bit. Once I have Maisie completely under my control, I'll make everything public." I clutched the pregnancy test report in my hand and let out a bitter laugh. From now on, they would not need to keep up their elaborate charade. I would leave on my own.