Missed Communication

To give my girlfriend a surprise on our anniversary, I forced myself to finish five days' worth of business in just three. I rushed back overnight. However, the moment I reached my front door, I stopped. Laughter and lively chatter spilled out from inside. Only a minute earlier, Sheila Jones had texted me, saying she was home alone and missed me badly. Then I heard someone call out from the room: "Sheila, your turn! Truth or dare, and make it a good one!" "Oh, you're all so nosy," she laughed. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you can't tell Erick." "Come on, say it already! Like we'd ever tell." "My first time," she said, "was with Yoel." The room erupted in knowing laughter and teasing cheers. I stood frozen. Yoel Lewis? Was not he supposed to be Sheila's closest guy friend? Before I could even wrap my head around it, Yoel chuckled and added lightly, "First time? That's not all. We even had a kid together." I pushed the door open and stepped inside, smiling as I looked at the two of them. "Really?" I said calmly. "Then where's the child?"

I never expected that my life would take such a dramatic turn but it did. I was Amy, a young woman who had never experienced true love or kindness. I was a slave, bought by the alpha of another pack, Jacob. I felt as if he had rescued me but I soon realised that his intentions were far from noble. He started to maltreat and abuse me, using me as his mate. I could not take it anymore and so I ran away. I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I needed to get away. Luck was on my side when I ran into another alpha, Keith. He was kind and protective of me, treating me with respect and love. Little did I know that I was actually royalty from Jacob's pack. I had been kidnapped at birth and no one knew of my existence until now. I was presented with an impossible choice. Should I go back to my family who had missed me and Jacob, who had suddenly become remorseful, or remain with Keith, the alpha who treated me right? I had no idea what to do. I had to choose between the life I had always known, and the life I had always wanted. In the end, I had to make the toughest decision of all.

Separated by fate, haunted by the past-- that's how they live. Until they meet again; they built hatred, showed agony, betrayed friends, wanted to be loved and learned how to sacrifice one's happiness. Remember those nights that I've been disturbing you, it's because I can't say what I need to say. Remember the time that I didn't disturb you; I've been holding so much, hoping that you'd be the one to call me first- and you did. Every time I hurt your feelings, I'm hurting too. I- I just don't know how to tell you the exact words, so I keep on annoying you. I'm sorry for all the troubles that I have caused- "I know," I said and I hug him. I can sense the same pain as what he is in my dream. Confessing is not bad. I'm just overwhelmed kasi I feel the same. "I like you too, Alex. I don't know how, I don't know why but that's how I felt. I hate you harassing and annoying me but I missed it when you don't!" I smiled. There fate is twisted.

Emily has never known the warmth of a real family. Abandoned before she was born and orphaned young, she was taken in by her best friend’s mother—fed, clothed, and educated, but never truly loved. To them, she was just the charity case they picked up from the streets, tolerated but never chosen. Still, Emily believed in love, she trusted her boyfriend, she trusted her best friend. Until the night she walked in on them together… in his bed. Shattered and drunk, she spent one reckless night with a mysterious stranger, desperate to forget the betrayal. By morning, he was gone, leaving only a name behind. Mr. Harrison Grey. She never expected to see him again, until she returned home and watched her best friend run into the arms of the same man. “Daddy! I missed you!” In that moment, Emily’s world collapsed all over again, because the stranger she spent the night with was her best friend’s father. Now, a dangerous secret is growing inside her, one that could destroy what little stability she has left. As forbidden feelings, jealousy, and buried family secrets surface, Emily must confront a truth she never saw coming. What happens when the man who gave you one night of comfort becomes your forbidden baby daddy?

I used to be the secret mate of Jason Boone, Alpha King of the Northern Realm. I was an Omega kept in the dark for seven long years. In this forbidden relationship, I gave birth to his son. Yet, he never once allowed our child to address him as his father. He promised that once his position was secure, he would publicly announce me as his Luna. But what I got instead was news of his grand engagement ceremony with Princess Bailey Shaw of a neighboring kingdom. "You're just a filthy stray Omega, surviving only because Jason pities you. Spare us the noble act. The elders would've cast you out of the Northern Realm long ago if it weren't for Jason. You'd be dead in some wilderness." Bailey rose gracefully and linked arms with Jason. She looked down on me as she spit out her contempt. When Jason missed our son's birthday again because of Bailey, I made my decision. I left, taking my son with me, and returned to my homeland. Unexpectedly, Jason, who had always been arrogant, lost control. He stormed into the healer academy I founded, desperately asking where I'd gone. But this time, neither I nor my son would look back.

In the tenth year of my marriage to a genius pianist, I came down with a strange illness. A month ago, my husband missed my birthday party to care for his ailing sister-in-law. Night after night, I had waited for him to return home. But that night I forgot to wait at all and went to bed early. Half a month ago, he attended an important performance with his sister-in-law. I had always been petty and prone to jealousy, yet this time I didn't get angry. I simply went home in silence. Three days ago, I fell seriously ill with a burning fever. My husband rushed back from out of town in a panic—but only to tend to his sister-in-law, whose hand had been scalded. When we ran into each other at the hospital, I was strangely calm. I, who used to be fiercely jealous, felt nothing at all. I forgot the promise we had made to grow old together. I even forgot how he once fretted over me for days when I'd scraped a bit of skin. It wasn't until he said he wanted to bring his sister-in-law home and take care of her for the rest of his life that I—my memories riddled with holes—summoned the system at last. "I want to go home."

The moment my best friend dashes into the lottery shop ahead of me and rattles off that familiar string of numbers, I know instantly that she has been reborn, too. In my past life, my best friend and I were shortlisted for an interview at a Global 500 company just before graduation. However, there was only one opening available. On the day of the interview, I had a sudden urge to buy a lottery ticket, but as a result, I missed the interview, and my best friend got the job. As it turned out, I won the jackpot, totaling 50 million dollars. After graduation, I lived a carefree life, lounging at home and living off the interest. Meanwhile, after entering the company, my best friend was paid little and got bullied every single day. Eventually, she vented her anger on me and shoved me off a rooftop. I died from the fall instantly. After my death, my boyfriend covered for her, twisting the story to claim that I'd gone mad from idling too long and jumped on my own. The two of them fed on my misfortune, becoming influencers with millions of fans and raking in fortune. When I open my eyes again, I am reborn to the very day I bought that lottery ticket.

On the night before Match Day, it's 2:17 am when I find myself staring at the screenshot on my phone. For a long while, my heart refuses to calm down at all. Ethan Blake: "Let's have a bet, guys. If Leah doesn't get a spot at Redwood General Hospital tomorrow, this will mark the end of our relationship. The starting bet is two thousand dollars. Is anyone following up on this bet?" Already, more than a dozen people have responded to the message with various emojis. Someone even comments, "Count me in!" I feel my nails digging into my palms. "The end of our relationship", he says. To think that Ethan actually used this phrase. We've been dating for four years. This is the very same man who once told me that he wanted to marry me. Is it this easy for him to end a relationship? I take a deep breath and force myself to calm down. There are still other medical interns in the staff room with me. I mustn't lose my composure around them. I know that Ethan is waiting for me to react how I did in the previous times. I'd either spam his phone with missed calls, beg him to delete the message while crying, or apologize to him in an extremely humble manner. But now… Now, I'm really done with this relationship.

Mindy Horton and I got married on Thanksgiving. Coincidentally, her assistant went abroad to further his studies that day. I did not pay much attention to it until the eve of another Thanksgiving three years later. I was browsing TikTok and came across Mindy, who was in a street interview about couples. The reporter stopped her and asked, "Excuse me. Could I have a second of your time? Who would you like to spend today with?" Mindy paused for a moment. She struggled to answer after a long while, "With my lover." "Call him now. He should know how you feel!" I smiled as I sat up, ready to pick up Mindy's call. However, when I looked up, I saw Mindy sobbing to another man on the screen. "I know you've returned, and I still can't forget you after all these years. Do you know how much I regret not marrying you and marrying another man? We missed our chance with each other three years ago. Let's spend Thanksgiving together this year!" I sat in bed all night and booked a flight out of the country the next morning. "When are you leaving?" my assistant asked. I replied, "On Thanksgiving."

Drugs disappeared during one of our family’s deals—and everyone knew it was my stepsister, Emily’s fault. Now, our rivals demanded someone be sent to them, held captive until the debt was repaid. My fiancé, my family—they all agreed it should be me. “Emily already got hurt in the mission. You are stronger. You can handle it while we figure things out.” I knew this moment was coming. And so I signed my name. In five days, I’d be sent away. And I have decided that no matter what happened—whether I lived or died—I was done with my family and my fiancé. In those last days, I gave everything I owned away. The casino? To my stepsister, who had always eyed it with envy. My checking account? To my father, who never missed a chance to remind me how useless I was. The engagement ring? Back to the man who’d been fake as hell. They didn’t notice anything off. They just smiled, pleased with how thoughtful I’d suddenly become. When they realized I was gone for good—and that their fragile Emily was their undoing—would they still smile like that? Would they still look so content?