Most Rare Birthday

Lilith spent most of her life running away and hiding in various places. It was the price she paid for her freedom. She dared to be born as a lowly human and was immediately cast out by her family. After years of growing up as an abandoned child, those who cast her away suddenly found out that her body had a value. They thought of her as their slave who could be sold for a good price. That was when she decided to run and fight for a glimpse of a normal life. Unexpectedly, somewhere along her way, she found someone who was ready to protect her and grant her a life she had never even dared to dream of. Someone for whom she is the most precious human on Earth…

I was checking out our own hotel. Got hungry, so I snagged a tiny bread roll before my order came out. Then the lobby manager strutted over and slapped me with a fine. "Hi, miss. No outside food. You stayed eight minutes and thirty seconds, spent $150, and your fine's $128,000." I stared at the ticket like, What the hell? Snapped a pic and sent it to the board, tagging my lovely brother: [Getting fined at our own hotel—so THIS is how you're boosting revenue?]

He ruined Her Life, the man she gave everything to, even her kidney. But she is back with a new face and a new identity, seeking to exact a pound of flesh and reclaim her child. Three years ago, everybody thought Alicia was dead, including her ex-husband, Lucas, and sister, Becky, who betrayed her. What they didn't know was that a top sailor rescued her, and her face that was once scarred beyond recognition was rebuilt through advanced facial reconstruction. Now, she has the face of a goddess, and a top business tycoon who commands power, not the regular naive girl that Lucas discarded. What happens when her ex-husband, Lucas, unknowingly falls for the woman he once destroyed? What happens when the betrayer becomes the beggar? Because this time, she’s not his savior. She’s his Karma.

One fateful afternoon; Olivia Strongkins walked into a salon, hoping to score a last minute appointment. Only to discover that despite the signs and all the right props, it wasn’t a hair salon at all. But a front for a drug and all things crime business. As startling a moment it was, her eyes met those of Dominic Salvatore and she saw forever. And therefore began to play a game of hide and seek with the notorious underground crime lord and billionaire. Who was hell bent on keeping her at arm’s length, as a mean to protect her from being used as a pawn by his enemies against him. Until she swiftly entered his heart and world, like she had always belonged there. Leaving him no choice but to claim her, despite the consequences- as his most prized possession.

On my 16th birthday, I treat myself to the most delicious cake I can find. On that day, before I can even take a bite, my parents, who are always at odds with each other, sign their divorce papers right in front of me. So, on my wedding day, I tell my wife, Keira Jarrett, "If you ever want a divorce, just get me a birthday cake." She hugs me tightly and promises me."Don't worry. 'Birthday' won't even be a word in our home anymore." Seven years later, on Keira's birthday, her assistant, Jackson Price, throws her a surprise party. She slaps him across his handsome, gentle face and kicks him out of Jarrett Group. That day, I am convinced I have chosen the right woman for life. But three months later, on my birthday, I find out the supposedly fired Jackson has been promoted to Keira's personal secretary. He personally delivers a custom-made birthday cake to me. I call Keira to demand an explanation, but her voice on the other end is cold and distant. "Jack meant well. Don't be a spoilsport." I freeze for a moment, then hang up. It turns out my parents are right all along. The only way a birthday cake tastes right is when it's served with divorce papers.

As the sunsets over Grey Moon, the atmosphere changes from happy and carefree to chilling and dreadful. There is a party going on to celebrate the birth of Alpha Jermey’s daughter. Most packs consider a girl as firstborn a disgrace but here it does not matter. The pack members had waited patiently for the birth of their next leader, whether it be a boy or a girl, they knew either way the baby would be strong because the Alpha was a Kolana wolf and their Luna was a Mattra wolf, they were wolves of legends as they were the last of their kind. These wolves were once feared around the world and known for their strength and quickness. They were white as snow and as big as a tractor. They also had special abilities that helped them in battle and running a pack. As most know, the Kolana wolves and the Mattra wolves were created by the moon goddess herself. No one knew exactly why they were created but after the last war with the Lycans, they had been decimated to the brink of extinction. The remaining wolves had gone into hiding and only their packs knew of their existence. The Alpha and Luna of Grey Moon had been thrown together in a union to preserve their species by their parents before they passed away.

On our wedding anniversary, I canceled all my meetings and made a reservation at a restaurant. That evening, my wife, the renowned investigative journalist Amaya Shaw, called me. “Efim, I’m sorry! I just received a tip from a source. It’s urgent. “It involves inside information about a well-known company. I have to go verify it immediately!” But the next day, I saw that Javor Furey, the junior she had brought along, had posted a collage on his social media. The central photo showed Amaya wearing a childish birthday hat. Her head was pressed against Javor’s, as they made a wish together in front of a cake covered in candles. This was the caption. [Thanks, my dear Ms. Shaw! Even in the midst of her busy schedule chasing big stories, she remembered to give me this surprise birthday!] [Chasing big stories.] I stared at those three words. Then, I glanced at the limited-edition bag on our dining table. It was the one she had been raving about for half a year. It was the anniversary gift I had prepared for her. I felt absurd. I commented just two words under that post. [How touching.] Her call came in almost the second I hit send. She sounded furious. “Efim, do you have to be so sarcastic? “It’s just an anniversary. How old are you? Why are you still celebrating such childish anniversaries?” From our first year of marriage to the present, her “tip-offs from informants” and “special circumstances” always took precedence over our promises. This time, she could not even be bothered to come up with a plausible excuse. I did not say anything. I hung up and blocked her number. This marriage was over.

I was eight months pregnant when my water broke—the same day as the birthday of my husband’s adopted son. To keep my child from being born on the same day as his adopted son's, he forced me to wait until after midnight. He refused to take me to the hospital and locked me in the basement. Adrian Shaw looked down at me. His eyes were dark and hostile. “Elena, you're really good at picking the timing, huh? Of all days, you had to go into labor on Evan’s birthday.” I begged him to take me to the hospital. A trace of disappointment flashed across his eyes, and his voice turned cold. “You’re still trying to lie to me? I asked a doctor. Even if your water breaks, you don’t give birth right away. Some women don’t deliver for three days. “All this scheming is just to secure your position as Mrs. Shaw, so your child can compete with Evan for his birthday and his place. You've really thought this through.” I took a deep breath as despair washed over me. “The baby I’m carrying is yours too! Adrian, I’m begging you. Please, for the child’s sake, save her. As long as the baby is safe, I promise I’ll never show up in front of you again.” His expression darkened. He bent down, grabbed my chin, and replied harshly, “Don’t play games with me. “As long as you stay here quietly until after midnight, I’ll take you to the hospital. Once the baby’s born, you can finally use the child to secure your place and truly marry into the Shaw family.” Later, when my contractions grew unbearable and I cried out in pain, he found me too noisy and took Evan and his mother out to celebrate instead. By the time he remembered me and asked whether I had a boy or a girl, his secretary’s face paled. “Mrs. Shaw is… gone.”

Umalis si Juliette at iniwan ang kambal na anak at asawa na binuhusan niya ng anim na taon ng buhay niya ngunit binalewala lamang ng mga ito. Sa kanyang pagbabalik, isang bagong Juliette at bagong identity na ang makikita. Ngunit dala niya ang alaala ng nakaraan. Inakala niya na balewala lamang siya sa asawa. Ngunit bakit ngayon ay hinahabol-habol siya nito?

"There's a foreign object lodged in the patient's lower region. Due to the unique circumstances, we need the patient's next of kin to sign the consent form for an extraction procedure." My body stiffens when I see the name on the consent form. "I'm Renee Becker's next of kin." It's Liam Cassidy who says that. He's the first love of my wife, Renee Becker, who has been away for a month, claiming she's off on a business trip. Liam doesn't recognize me. He takes the pen and signs the consent form. In the section to mark his relationship to the patient, he writes the word "husband". After passing the pen back to me, he grips my hand tightly and beseeches me, "Doctor, you must do everything you can to help her. She's carrying my baby." As I wrench my hand back from him, my wedding ring slips off and falls onto the floor.