Misery Meaning

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

The year is 2304 and war has ravaged the world, leaving scattered communities. Keira, a headstrong 25-year-old, has joined the Eagle tribe with the goal of making a difference. Their primary mission is to take back Meraki, a planet that was intended only for the wealthy and privileged. For the past 50 years, raiders seeking riches have taken over Meraki and severed all communication. The Eagle tribe, trained by old war heroes, has been selected to assess the situation and is actively searching for scattered pieces of a space shuttle that was used to travel to Meraki. Keira is one of the few women who joined the force, as most women help out with daily necessities. She has no interest in marriage, but she can't help but react whenever Josh is nearby. Josh, newly appointed as second in command, has a string of women eagerly throwing hints of marriage, and he would stop at nothing to make them sway. His piercing green eyes, sun-kissed blonde hair, dashing dimples, and ripped physique due to excessive training would contribute to the madness. As fate would have it, she found herself crossing paths with Caleb - a master of manipulation with a dashing demeanor. Despite his apparent immunity to emotion, he exuded a commanding presence that was both cold and alluring. There was something dark and mysterious about him that drew her in, and she couldn't help but feel like he had a way of penetrating her guarded thoughts. Meraki is a place for dreams, a meaning to a better future, or maybe where dreams are now scattered by the selfish traits of men for self-gain.

She thought she could endure a loveless marriage to repay her family’s debt—but she didn’t count on the cost of her heart. Once the proud daughter of a wealthy businessman, ELENA BRADFORD watched her life crumble when her father’s betrayal left her and her mother drowning in debt. Desperate to protect her family, she reluctantly agreed to a marriage contract with her father’s former business partner’s reckless son, ADRIAN HAWTHORNE—a man who once loved her during their university days but now only mocks her fall from grace. Trapped in a cold marriage filled with scorn and humiliation, Elena finds herself suffocating under the weight of Adrian’s cruelty. But everything changes at a high-profile dinner when she locks eyes with the one person she never thought she’d see again—LUCAS EVERHART, her childhood best friend, who once confessed his love before vanishing from her life. Now a powerful CEO, Lucas is stunned to see the woman he loved trapped in a toxic marriage. Learning of her misery, he vows to free her from the chains of her past—even if it means clashing with Adrian who refuses to let her go. As old feelings reignite and secrets unravel, Elena must decide: will she fight for the love she once believed in, or will her past mistakes keep her from the future she deserves?

Katherine had no place in the Royal Masquerade Ball for she was only a servant of the Domil Pack. However, her friend Sandy snuck her into the palace, allowing her a fleeting taste of the royal ball. Amid the sea of masked werewolves, Katherine found herself swept onto the dance floor, unknowingly caught in the arms of Alpha King Luther Reeds. The bond between them was undeniable, but so was the cold anger in his eyes. Without knowing each other’s true identities, Luther rejected her with a harsh command not to show herself ever again, passing her off to another man with a trail of despise as he let her go. Ending the night with pain and hatred for each of them. Luther despised the mate bond, viewing it as a weakness unfit for a King. His only concern was choosing a partner of high status to bear his heir—love and bonds had no place in his plans. But fate had other ideas. Their paths crossed again, and this time, Luther took her—not as his mate, but only to be a servant in his palace. Katherine lived in misery, sorrow, and despair. She watched her mate betray her, use her, and bed any woman he wanted. She wanted to escape the palace, to leave the Alpha King, but she could not. Driven by the last thread of her sanity, she ended her sorrow—and her life—under the cold, emotionless gaze of the Alpha King. But her death was not yet the end, but the beginning. What fate awaits Katherine who was favored by the goddess who cursed the Alpha King? And what will happen when he learns that she is the key to breaking his curse?

In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son. He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son s classroom would be in the back right corner of the building; he rushed there and started digging through the ruins. As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: "It s too late! They’re all dead! You can’t help! Go home! Come on, face reality, there s nothing you can do!" To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school s ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You’re in danger. We’ll take care of it. Go home."

"You never had a choice, Cassia. But now, the choice is yours." Cassia’s life was never her own. The daughter of a powerless Omega, she was bound by a cruel fate—married off to Alpha Lucien, a man twice her age and cold with dominance. Her mother’s brutal murder at the hands of her stepmother only deepened her misery, leaving her with no protection in a world ruled by ruthless power. Lucien’s cruel indifference burned at her soul, yet there was something about him, something beneath his harsh exterior that seemed to pull at her. But Cassia would not break. Forced into submission, she found the strength to fight. A mysterious ally within the pack emerged, offering help when all hope seemed lost. Through pain and struggle, she began unlocking powers deep within her—powers that her stepmother’s curse had suppressed for years. Her journey to self-discovery and freedom was just beginning, but it came at a cost. Should she seek revenge on the man who tormented her, or embrace the freedom she so desperately craved? And what of Lucien—could the man who caused her so much pain truly change, or was he beyond redemption? As the stakes grew higher, so did the tension between them. With enemies closing in from all sides, Cassia’s decision could change everything. Her true power was awakening, and with it, a choice that would either break her or set her free. Will she escape the chains of her past? Read now to discover Cassia’s journey toward freedom, love, and a destiny that is hers to claim.

Carmenta Bloom’s life is the epitome of gilded misery, and she is no stranger to controversy. With wealth and glory as her inheritance, she has everything but the freedom to live on her own terms. When a scandal threatens her family’s ironclad reputation, Carmenta is cast into a prison of her own making under the watchful eye of her bodyguard, Perion. Perion is her captor in every sense. He moves mountains and pounds them to ground again. He controls her, isolates her, and refuses to allow any escape—except one she never anticipated: his presence begins to consume her. Perion isn’t who he claims to be. He isn’t just a hired hand—he’s tied to a powerful mafia syndicate, his motives shrouded in secrecy. To him, Carmenta is a key piece in a high-stakes war his syndicate is waging. As Carmenta’s fiery spirit challenges Perion’s icy resolve, the line between duty and love begins to blur. Perion starts to see the woman behind the façade, and Carmenta, despite her mistrust, feels drawn to the man she thinks is her protector. He begins to question everything—his loyalty and the woman who has somehow gotten under his skin. Torn between duty and desire, Perion must face the consequences of his lies, while Carmenta must decide if she’s willing to risk everything—her heart, her life, and her very soul—for the man who was never meant to protect her. As war closes in and trust crumbles, they must confront what they’ve both been running from or be destroyed by it.

When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade…. Esme believed in this saying for as long as she could remember. These words gave her the strength and courage to live each day as it comes until she eventually became tired of making those lemonades and wished for something else. Something—different. But that only seemed wishful thinking. Born as a noble and made an orphan after a rogue attack, Esme became the unwanted pack member of NightCrawler Pack. The once daughter of an alpha became nothing but a slave who answers to the new alpha’s family’ every beck and call. The pack that had once adored her now ridiculed her and laughed at her mistreatment and misery. They seemed to have forgotten how her family had fought for the safety of the pack and the kingdom and even lost their lives for them. But in all this, Esme remained silent. Silently enduring and hoping that one day, her knight in shining armor would come and rescue her. That he will show up one day and take her away from the once happy place that has now become her hell. When that day eventually came, she was rejected without a second thought, and she watched as her world came crashing. Hard. Her heart caved in and lost all hope of ever finding happiness again. Or even leaving the pack. After all, what could a wolfless shifter do? Amidst her misery, a ray of light appeared. She was blessed with a second chance mate. One whose outstretched hand she was hesitant to take, especially after knowing who he was.

"You're here to play nurse, not to pretend you care," he snapped, his cold gaze locking onto hers. "And you are here to waste your life because it's easier than fighting for it," she shot back, her voice shaking but defiant. He wheeled closer, his jaw clenched. "Don't think for a second that you can fix what is so broken." I'm not here to fix you," she whispered, her eyes unrelenting. "I'm here because I believe there's more to you than this bitterness. He was the untouchable golden boy of his family, a magnetic presence destined to inherit a sprawling empire. His charm, his power, and his perfection made him unstoppable until a car crash shattered his life and left him confined to a wheelchair. His once-loyal followers turned their backs, leaving him drowning in the bitterness of betrayal. She was living proof of her family-a forgotten daughter whose dreams of becoming a doctor kept her sane amidst years of neglect. All she wanted in life was freedom, but fate had other plans. Forced into a contract marriage with the epitome of misery, she found herself engulfed in a battle she never asked for. Their worlds collide in a storm of resentment and vulnerability. Underneath his bitterness, though, lies the ruins of a man who had everything to lose-and the dim hope of someone who could help him find it again. As she works her way through his fury, and he pushes against her kindness, a bond forms-a bond neither expected. But with jealous rivals scheming in the shadows and old wounds threatening to tear them apart, their fight for love becomes a war for survival. Can two broken souls find strength in each other, or will the scars of their pasts destroy them both?

Your life has always been a horrible mess, like happiness didn’t want you to be happy. Being caged, used and controlled was all your life could offer, and you just couldn’t stop it or escape it. But then you met him. You thought he was a different person, so even after being warned, you chose to go with him, straight into a trap you would never escape from. He was cold, blunt, and unhappy himself, so when you expected him to say, “This is your home now, do whatever you want, for I will always protect you,” disappointment slapped because he said this instead: “I own you now. You’ll be in charge of all the cooking and cleaning in this house. You are not permitted to take one step out of this mansion; making any little mistake could cost you your life. Whenever I call you, respond immediately, don’t make me call you twice; that could also cost you your life. This house must remain clean as it is right now, and at night, be on guard in this house. I don’t want to catch you sleeping, it might also cost you your life… I hope you understand.” Just then you realised, you were been owned again, not being loved. The 25th of September is always a day of agony, torment, misery, pain and anguish. It all started on the 25th of September, and just like it started… would it end? Is Felix not who you pictured him to be? Would he turn out to be a bigger mess… or not. What would happen to you now, Benita?