May Day Eve By Nick Joaquin

In order to protect me, Don Salvatore deliberately announces that my fiance, Simone Pozzi, is his long-lost son. Simone shakes with excitement when he sees the man in a bespoke suit stepping out of the Rolls-Royce that is parked outside my house. Just as I'm about to tell him it's all a lie, he shoves me aside. He even brushes his sleeves in disgust, as if he has touched something filthy. Simone says, "Stay away from me. Don't let your poverty rub off on me! Since I'm the Don's son, we'll call off our engagement. An illegitimate bastard like you isn't even fit to wipe my shoes!" When I try to explain, he cuts me off by writing out a check and flinging it hard into my face. The sharp edge of the paper slices across my cheek. "Take this one million dollars as our breakup fee and don't bother me again. We're no longer from the same world," Simone says. I watch the check flutter down into the mud and quietly turn off my phone screen. On the screen is a message Papa—Don Salvatore—has just sent me, "Just bear with it a little longer, Principessa. Papa will bring you home soon to take over the famiglia." Simone is so determined to cut himself off completely. He might have the luck to claim a fortune that big, but not the life to enjoy it.

cold finger brushed my chin. It was barely there, but it sent a quick, immediate thrill through me, as though my body was unsure whether to retreat or lean in. He raised my head slowly and purposefully. At first I fought; my muscles clenched with terror, but his hold was unbelievably strong, and his touch was commanding but delicate. I had no choice but to follow. Then our eyes connected. My breath caught in the back of my throat. Elara’s lineage was cursed. A werewolf by blood, a witch by fate, and something far more dangerous by destiny. She had spent her life looking forward to the mate ceremony but she gets the shock of her life as he rejects her and she is attacked. Everything that she has ever know about herself is not what it seems. Rejected by her mate, she is hunted by the supernatural council. But the night has other plans. When she falls into the hands of Abbadon, the Vampire King, she expects death. Instead, he saves her, binding their fates in ways neither of them understand. With war looming and the council determined to erase her existence, Elara has no choice but to embrace the darkness within. The witches who should have stood by her have turned against her. The werewolves see her as an abomination. And the council’s most feared enforcers are closing in. When her home is burned to the ground and her family slaughtered, she swears vengeance. No longer just a fugitive, she becomes the storm that will bring the supernatural world to its knees. Will she survive or will she forever be an abomination to be hunted until her death?

Her mother despised her. Her brother said she disgusted him. Her boyfriend proposed to her twin sister in front of thousands of hockey fans. And she accepted the ring with a devious, triumphant smile. All because Scarlett Whitmore was born with a heart condition. All because she was sick. When push comes to shove, Scarlett is forced to kiss the first man she sees at the club just to save face. And he turns out to be Harlan Rousseau, star left wing and Captain of the Vancouver Titans. Everyone thinks he’s a broke hockey star with a dead, alcoholic mother who left him with a mountain of debt. But behind that mask is a formidable billionaire, and heir to Rousseau Petrocorp — the largest oil conglomerate in Canada. Scarlett thought everything would end with that one deceitful kiss. Instead, she caught the devil’s attention…and awakened his desire. Now, he wants her. And Harlan Rousseau has enough money, power and influence to get anything… and anyone he wants.

She only wanted to live. He only needed a wife—on paper. But what started as a contract… is about to rewrite their hearts. After Rain Italy Cuervanue refuses to be sold off to an old man to pay her aunt’s debt, she’s thrown out of her own home. Desperate and alone, she flees to the only place that still holds her father’s memory, the beach house he gave her on her 18th birthday, only to find out it’s been sold. And not just to anyone. To Matthew Fuentavello, the youngest, powerful, and most feared CEO in the country, from a family known across Asia. To her shock, Matthew offers her a deal: Marry him for six months, a secret contract to fulfill his grandfather’s condition for taking full control of their empire. In return, she gets the beach house back. The catch? She must also work for him as his secretary. No one must know they’re married, except his family. Rain agrees with no choice left, never expecting that the man she married on paper… is the uncle of her cheating ex-boyfriend, the one who broke her heart with her own cousin. As they pretend by day and blur the lines by night, a dangerous chemistry starts to grow. Office rumors spark. Jealousy brews. And when the whispers get too loud, Matthew drops the biggest bomb—Rain isn’t just his secretary. She’s his wife. Just when Rain begins to believe in their stolen happiness, the past comes knocking. Her ex wants her back. Matthew’s ex, the woman who once rejected the deal Rain accepted, now wants him again. And Rain begins to wonder… Was she just a second option? Or is there something Matthew’s been hiding from the start… something real?

On Valentine's Day, my husband Ethan Scott’s assistant, Taylor Winston, gifted me 360 used condoms. She leaned close to my ear and whispered that this was Ethan’s favorite brand. Then, in front of everyone, she teased, "Valentine's Day calls for some explosive fun. I hope you don't mind, Claire." Disgust churned in my stomach, and I couldn’t hold back—I vomited on the spot. Embarrassed that I had humiliated him, Ethan snapped, "It was just a joke. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?" Three months pregnant, I was so enraged that a patch of red stained my pants. I begged him to take me to the hospital. But Taylor chimed in, "It's just her physiological reaction." Furious, Ethan heartlessly locked me in the car. He spent three carefree days with Taylor before finally remembering me. But when he saw me again, the usually composed CEO of Scott Enterprise completely lost his mind.

Due to my mother's last wish, I kept my identity hidden and mated the son of my father's friend, Alpha Xavier, who I grew to love after our union. The night of our wedding, war broke out. My Alpha left me for the battlefront. Before he left, he asked me to wait for him, promising that when he returned, he would spend the rest of his life with me. He only loved me. While I waited for him to come home, I took care of the Pack. I did a very good job and earned the love of everyone in the Pack. I am Luna. A year later, the war ended, and my Mate won the war. He came back with a woman and said she was his true mate. They had already completed the mating ritual and marked each other for life. Bianca is known for the best warrior on the battlefield. She says she doesn't want to be stuck in the pack like Luna, the housewife. Xavier used his accomplishments on the battlefield to trade with Alpha King for a special reward, the Luna Duet, and we two Lunas are equal. Fuck this ridiculous Luna Duet, May the best Luna win.

On Teacher's Day, my wife, Hera, was promoted to associate professor. Even for our marriage we simply registered without a proper ceremony, yet this time, she specifically prepared a feast at home to celebrate. During the dinner, she took out the flowers a male student had given her and was about to put them in a vase. Without warning, I knocked the flowers out of her hand, flipped over the vase, and, under the bewildered gazes of the whole family, calmly said, "Let's get a divorce." Hera was stunned at first, then angrily snapped, "Stanley Lawson, what's gotten into you? I’m just putting some flowers my student gave me in a vase. What's the big deal?" My mother-in-law, Sarah Swift, chimed in, "Hera just got promoted to associate professor, and it's Teacher's Day. What's wrong with a student giving her flowers? Are you seriously getting jealous over that?" I glanced at the scattered petals on the floor and slowly said, "Yes, it's because of these flowers that I want a divorce."

While we're having our dinner on Christmas Eve, my mom suddenly asks me loudly, "Do you have your chastity?" I look confused. "What?" My mom just smiles very smugly. "I knew you were the adventurous type! You must have lost it because of someone else!" After that, she shoots my husband, Louis Hartson, a knowing look. "You don't know about this yet, right? Before Yvonne married you, she was an absolute player in the dating pool. Her father and I couldn't keep her under control at all!" I widen my eyes in shock. "What are you talking about?" My mom is even happier when she sees how angry I am. "Oh? You have the guts to do it, yet you're too cowardly to admit to it?" I can only clench my fists tightly under the table after hearing my mom's slanderous accusations. Since she likes spreading baseless rumors about me this much, I'm not going to keep her secret for her anymore.

This story is about Allanah Reign Avery or known as ARA. 24 years old, She's kind, loving, rude sometimes and most of all caring. Pero pag dating sa kanyang Prof, magiging mabait at respectful pa kaya ang pakikitungo niya rito?. His name is Grey Khyler Simpson a 28 years old CEO and Professor known for being cold and perfectionist he always wants everything to be perfect. At nang dahil sa kanyang ina na gusto na nito mag karoon ng apo ay doon na pag planuhan nila ni Ara na mag kunwaring nag mamahalan sa isa't-isa. Si Ara ay isang mag-aaral sa De Maharlika University kung saan malapit na siyang makapag tapos sa kolehiyo ngayong taon at kapag nakapag tapos na siya ay siya na ang mamahala sa kanilang Kompanya which is yun naman talaga ang main goal niya ngunit dahil sakanyang ugali at galit sa isang guro na si Grey ay maging buhol-buhol ang kanyang buhay kolehiyo. Magkakaroon sila ng kontrata ng kanyang guro na kung saan ay mag papakasal sila ngunit sa isang kundisyon na hindi sila MAHUHULOG SA ISA'T-ISA. Mapipigilan kaya nila ang kanilang damdamin o sasabay na lamang sila sa daloy ng pag-ibig?

"Sign the divorce papers, Nora." I didn't cry. I simply looked at the billionaire husband who had ignored me for three years and made one final demand. "One hundred days, Silas. Move back into my bedroom. Touch me like a man obsessed with his wife. On Day 101, I will sign the papers and walk away." Arrogant and certain, he agreed, assuming it was a desperate plea to use my body to win his heart back. He had no idea what he was walking into. By Day 20, the cold, untouchable CEO is rushing home just to pin me against our bedroom door. By Day 50, he’s pulling me into his lap, whispering breathless, desperate promises in the dark. He is addicted to the friction, using every searing kiss and heavy touch to forcefully brand me as his. He thinks the heated nights we share mean I am finally surrendering. He doesn't know the truth. I’m not using these 100 nights to fall back in love with him. I’m using his counterfeit passion to completely numb my heart. While my body responds to his fire, my soul is freezing over. On Day 100, Silas pours his soul into the most emotionally raw night of my life. He falls asleep holding me tight, entirely convinced his absolute worship has won me back forever. But on Day 101, he wakes up to cold sheets, an empty closet, and a signed contract. His money couldn't buy me. His touch couldn't keep me. Now, the billionaire who thought he was playing a game will burn his empire to the ground to find the wife who gave him her body, but vanished with her soul.