Of Mice And Men

My mom has been brainwashing me with her "quid pro quo" rule. Apparently, I must work hard in earning money just to get whatever I want. A round of doing the dishes earns me 50 cents. Mopping the floor once grants me one dollar. If I get a full score in my exams, that'll be five dollars. In order to buy a pair of white sneakers that I had had my eye on for a long time, I spent three months picking up trash from the streets. I lived like a maid who was paid on one-time services in this home. When I was a high school senior, I fainted during my homeroom period due to long periods of malnutrition. Even though my doctor suggested to my mom to pay attention to my nutrient intake, she began calculating the costs in front of my sick bed instead. "Your hospitalization costs 300 dollars. On top of that, you have a 200-dollar medical bill to settle. All of these costs will be reflected on your wedding gifts in the future, Emily." But when I turned my head, I saw a student sitting on the bed being fed chicken noodle soup by her own mother. Said mother was so heartbroken by her daughter's illness that she kept shedding tears as well. At that moment, my outlook on the world, that I had been maintaining for 18 long years, finally crumbled into dust. It turned out that not all children needed to work hard just to feel their parents' love. After getting discharged from the hospital and returning home, I finally sobered up the moment I noticed the sneakers that my younger brother, Arnold Baird, wore that cost several thousands of dollars. Then, I tore the family portrait into pieces and didn't hesitate to fill in the university that was located the furthest from home when it was time for me to submit my post-graduation details. Ten years later, my mom calls me on the phone. She starts crying to me how Arnold has swindled her out of her pension. Apparently, he's even sold the house just so he can elope with his girlfriend. Not only is my mom alone now, but she doesn't have a place to stay as well. I just smile as I throw her a piece of rag. "You want to live with me, huh? No problem. You'll earn 50 cents for every window you wipe. You can earn your rent like this."

Isabella Romano's idyllic existence falls apart in just one week. Her engagement and career have been ruined, and the only place she can go is to her father's construction business. Finding herself in front of Dominic Castellano, her dad's business partner, best friend, and the man she's desired since she was eighteen, is the last thing she expects. For years, Dom has avoided contact with Vincent's daughter. She is everything he shouldn't want, off-limits, and prohibited. His good intentions, however, are immediately dashed when she arrives, broken and desperate. A single touch triggers another. An uncontrollable fire is started by a single kiss. With a hunger that had been growing for years, he forced her against the office wall and framed her face with his rough hands before snatching her mouth. "This is insane," he growled against her lips while his fingers entangled themselves in her hair. "Then stop," she said softly. No, he couldn't. He couldn't, God forbid him. As he raised her, plans strewn across the floor, her legs encircled his waist. It was everything he had denied himself: the taste of her, the sensation of her gentle curves on his. She gasped as his lips touched the tender region on her neck. "Dom," she said. "Please—" “Dom? "You in there?" The door opened and Vincent's voice roared in. Both of them froze

When my older sister, Rhea Silverhilt, and I are given a chance to choose our marriage partners for the clan alliance, she rushes ahead and claims the noble fire dragon, Drakon Ragnarok. I am left to match with a brutish wolf, Flint Greyfang. Not long after the wedding, Drakon dies in an unexpected accident. Rhea loses her protector and is vulnerably subjected to scorn and abuse. Meanwhile, the sharp-minded and shrewd Flint reveals a surprising talent for business and swiftly amasses a fortune. Consumed by bitter hatred, Rhea corners me at the grand sacrificial rite and stabs me to death. When I open my eyes again, I am back on the day we are to choose marriage partners. This time, Rhea darts forward and holds Flint's hand. In that instant, I know that she's reborn, just as I am. What she doesn't know is that wolves are innately violent and abusive. They love settling disputes with fists.

Layla Backwood was a victim of an accident that claimed an entire family leaving her as the only survivor. When she revived in the arms of a charming man, Julian, who didn't hesitate to make her his wife, she thought she had it all; a man to love, a career on thrive, a future at close aim. But everything changed in just one night of betrayal. She finds Julian, the only man she loves, in the arms of another woman, her world shattered. Just then Viktor Douglas entered the picture. A ruthless, dreadful and magnetic billionaire CEO, who offered her everything she had long wished for: comfort, revenge, passion and a kind of love that screamed dangerous and capable of consuming everything in its path. Now layla is hung between the man who shattered her very being ad the man who ignited her darkest desires. Then revelations of truth that shakes her very core surfaced, the man behind Viktor's mask and Julian deception. But Layla must rise for herself and her secret child. Will she navigate the pile of lies, secrets, betrayal and temptations and still choose love?

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORIES 1: MARRIED AT SEVENTEEN AN ENGLISH NOVEL Thera De Marco was hated and feared by many. For inexplicable reasons, within five years of marriage to her husband Sean, she has gone from being soft-hearted and happy, to savage and ill-tempered. Despite her unhappiness, and her hate towards her husband she has refused to get her marriage annulled.Just before her 30th birthday, Thera is hit by a car, causing her memory before she met Sean to be wiped out. When she resumes her life, she begins to question why she was so unhappy in her marriage.Will her feelings change while she couldn't remember anything? Or do the secrets run deeper than she ever realized?

In her past life, Lindsay and the adopted daughter of the Harper family were kidnapped together. Tragically, her biological parents, five older brothers, and childhood sweetheart all chose to save the adopted daughter first, resulting in Lindsay's death. Reborn, Lindsay decided to sever ties with her family and break up with her childhood sweetheart. Determined to survive, she set out to conquer the entertainment industry. Her eldest brother, a powerful CEO in the entertainment world, soon witnessed her star studio rise to the top of the industry. Her second brother, a top agent, saw her become the ace agent in the circle. Her third brother, a popular and talented singer, watched as one of her songs quickly topped the charts. Her fourth brother, a genius new director, found himself envious of her film’s box office success. Her fifth brother, a top young idol, saw her win numerous awards and become a top actress. Eventually, her biological parents and five brothers begged for forgiveness, filled with regret. Even her ex-boyfriend, now a renowned actor, begged for reconciliation. Lindsay, however, refused to forgive them.

After Jane ran away and refused to marry Edwardo her husband to be, Camilla her sister was forced to marry him... it happens that Edwardo wasn't ready to love her as she wasn't the person he fell in love with but what happens after all the pains she passes through in the hands of Edwardo becomes a blessing in disguise?

Plot Summary: ‘…well, for starters, I think he shouldn’t be here, in my apartment, making me all uncomfortable and squirmy. And I also think he shouldn’t be talking about Ciara’s wedding. Isn’t there some kind of unwritten rule where you should never talk about your ex’s marriage?...’ *** When Ryan Shelby, the hot talk of NYC appears on Tiara James-Lemptons’ doorstep, there is only one thought in her mind. Flight. He is hot, he is dark, he is single – finally –, but he is danger. Like the flame that draws the moth, he burns, and when he makes an offer for her to be his fake girlfriend, like the moth to the flame, she finds it hard to resist. She isn’t the only one doing the resisting, however. Ryan is drawn to Tiara, to the girl that has always been on the side. The girl that has somehow morphed from that lanky college girl to the curvy but slender 23-year old, staring back at him with wide eyes and a luscious mouth. He had always had a thing for her, right from college, it was what brought the fight to his relationship with Ciara almost regularly. But up till now, he has always kept his feelings – and dick – in check. Does he want revenge on Ciara Lemptons? Or does he just want to find a way to deal with his growing feelings for Tiara? And how on earth could he prove to her that he isn’t some two-faced jerk that could play both sisters?

"Marriage was never on Ariana's mind. Living a lifetime with a man, living in a dream house, having children who look like him, and a partner - these were all beautiful daydreams that other girls might entertain, but not her. Ariana decided to live a single life and enjoy the rest of her days alone. However, what if she was forced to step into the shoes of her twin sister, who disappeared right before the wedding, and marry a man she doesn't know? Although some people might consider her lucky to be married to a young billionaire who owns an international venture company, Ariana doesn't feel that way. So, will her marriage go according to plan because people are pressuring her? Or would the results be different?"

I became Mrs. Damon Sterling by accident. My sister ran. I stayed. Now I'm trapped in a contract marriage with a man who hates that I'm not her. He says I'm beneath him. A poor substitute. An obligation he's stuck with. Fine. But I'm done being invisible. If he wants me gone in twelve months, he'll have to survive me first. I'm not my sister. And I'm about to make damn sure he never forgets it.