On Second Thoughts Novels & Stories

Luna, and her journey of self-discovery and finding her place in the world. Despite initial difficulties, she realizes that she needs to adapt to her new situation for her own growth and development. Her mother wants Luna to pursue higher education and convinces her to study in Manila. She agrees, understanding that education is a powerful tool for personal progress. She prepares for enrollment and plans to leave for Manila soon. However, her encounter with Ryker Gregory, who seems to have negative feelings toward her, shakes her confidence. “I find myself swept away by the profound emotions that linger in the air. It is a realm where authenticity becomes fleeting, leaving behind nothing but remnants of my once vibrant feelings. Thoughts echo within me, whispering their secrets and leaving me yearning for more. Within the depths of my heart, I discover a peculiar contradiction—a longing for simplicity entangled in the complexities of love. Despite the dangers that lie in exposing my soul, it slowly emerges from its hiding place, craving connection and intimacy. Words wield an intriguing power in this realm, embracing both poverty and richness. Love becomes the enigmatic pursuit we strive for, seeking to be seen and appreciated amidst the captivating beauty of the world. Yet, I encounter individuals who weave intricate webs of lies, whether out of habit or with deliberate intent. In the face of such encounters, I am confronted with a choice—one that encompasses the essence of great and true love. As I traverse this labyrinthine journey, I embark on a quest to unravel the enigma of love. It is a search that takes me to the depths of my soul, forcing introspection and contemplation,” – Luna.

Meet Zarina Da Cerna—a living princess by name and blood and an aspiring actress chasing the same dreams once held by her late mother. But fairy tales shatter easily. Her father, ruined by his addiction to casinos, drowns in billions of debt owed to the ruthless tycoon Rayne Madrigal. Cornered by desperation and greed, he commits the ultimate betrayal—selling his one and only daughter to the man he owes. Rayne Madrigal is everything Zarina despises: a cold-hearted businessman who bends the world with money and power, a man who believes everything—and everyone—has a price. Yet when he sees Zarina’s innocent face and undeniable capability, he is intrigued. He brings her into his world as his personal maid and secretary, binding her to his control. She hates him. She curses him in her thoughts while he sleeps. She dreams of escape. But hatred blurs into something far more dangerous. No matter how hard she fights it, Zarina finds herself drawn to the very man who stole her freedom. Trapped between resentment and desire, she falls for Rayne—and against all odds, becomes his wife. Rayne, however, marries for reasons of his own. All he wants is his father’s validation. His heart remains locked, untouched, and unwilling to love. Marriage becomes a battlefield. Love turns into silence. And eventually, they chose divorce. Yet fate is never done. When given another chance—another crossing of hearts and wounds—will they find their way back into each other’s arms? Or will love, once broken, remain lost forever?

MJ agrees to a marriage of convenience with her boss, CEO Julius, to cover her father’s medical bills—nothing more, nothing less. In order to appease his dying grandfather, who demands that Julius marry and have a child in order to preserve the family fortune, Julius needs a wife. When the grandfather dies, the marriage will be dissolved and MJ will get the money she sorely needs in return for her cooperation. But as they go through with their fake marriage, a bond that neither of them had expected develops between them. Julius, known for his business-first personality, starts to let his guard down, revealing a side of him that’s unexpectedly tender. As their arrangement draws to a close, MJ, who vowed never to fall in love, begins to cross the fine line between duty and love. Will their feelings lead to something permanent, or will they part ways in the end, with broken hearts and shattered dreams? Can a marriage built on a lie become something more, or is it doomed to fail?

Isabela? Caroline? Patricia? Vivian? Nakasubsob si Enrique sa gitna ng puting satin sheet at tinitigan ang blonde na may umaagos na buhok na natutulog sa tabi niya, pero wala siyang ideya kung sino ang babaeng iyon... Na para sa kanya ay normal lang, dahil tuwing gabi ay iba ang babae. nakahiga sa kanyang kama. Si Enrique ay isang batang bilyonaryong CEO na palaging nasa kanyang mga kamay ang lahat ng gusto niya... Mga mansyon, magagarang sasakyan at maging ang mga babae. Ang malamig, sarado at ganap na brutis na lalaki ay namumuhay sa isang madilim at mapanglaw na buhay na sarado sa sarili niyang mundo, ang hindi niya inaasahan ay ang isang matamis na yaya na may magandang kalooban at mapang-akit na ngiti ay magpapabaligtad sa kanyang buong mundo.

BLURB: Si Desyrie ay lumuwas ng Maynila bitbit ang isang pangarap: ang makapag-aral at makatulong sa pamilya. Taglay ang ganda ng isang tipikal na Pilipina—morena, may mapungay na mga mata, at hubog ng katawang pang-modelo—madali sana siyang makakahanap ng mapapangasawa. Ngunit sumumpa siya: hinding-hindi siya magpapakatanga sa pag-ibig gaya ng kaniyang ina. “Bahala na kung tumandang dalaga,” ang madalas niyang bitaw na salita. Sa kabilang banda, si Lumiere Salvatiero ay isang bilyonaryong kinalimutan na ang salitang "pagmamahal." Matapos iwan ng kaniyang fiancée para sa ibang lalaki, ang dating butihing boss ay naging malamig, mabalasik, at lunod sa trabaho. Para sa kaniya, ang mga babae ay iisa lang ang habol: ang kaniyang yaman. Ngunit magbabago ang lahat sa isang hapon. Sa tapat ng kaniyang mansyon, isang napakagandang babae ang nakatayo habang binabasa ang poster: HIRING: YOUNG MAID. Sa isang sulyap, Lumiere was starstruck. Ngunit agad niyang iwinaksi ang nararamdaman. Para sa kaniya, isa lang din si Desyrie sa mga babaeng gagamitin ang ganda para makuha ang kaniyang pera. Doon magsisimula ang isang laro ng pangungutya, pagtitiis, at damdaming pilit itinatago sa likod ng mga malamig na titig. Will Desyrie’s fierce heart break Lumiere’s icy walls? O magiging isa lamang siyang biktima ng nakaraan ng lalaking ayaw nang maniwala sa pag-ibig? "I thought he was my forever, but he was just a lesson. My real hero was always right beside me."

"Sa mundo ng kasalanan, hindi lahat ng mga nagbebenta ng laman ay mga taong nawalan ng puso, at hindi rin lahat ng mayayaman ay kayang bilhin ang kapatawaran." Si Sandra Asuncion, ay isang babaeng ipinanganak sa marangyang pamilya at busog sa pagmamahal, ngunit natuldukan ito nang mangyari ang isang hindi inaasahan na massacre sa kaniyang buong pamilya. Nang mangyari iyon ay nawala sa kaniya ang lahat at napilitang siyang ibenta ang sarili para mabuhay. Sa mga gabi ng mga halakhakan, alak, at kasalanan, naging tanyag siya bilang “Ang Babaeng May Mabentang Laman.” Ngunit sa likod ng mga halik na walang saysay, isang gabi ang nagpabago sa lahat. Ang gabi na nakilala niya si Zaniel Arthur Mercer, isang multi-billionaire na kayang bilhin ang lahat lalong-lalo na ang laman ni Sandra. Ang dapat sana’y isang gabi ng bayaran ay nauwi sa paulit-ulit na pagkikita, hanggang sa ang pagkahumaling ay nauwi sa pag-ibig. Ngunit paano mo mamahalin ang lalaking nagmula sa pamilyang nagpapatay sa buong angkan mo? Sa pagitan ng init ng katawan at pagmamahal, paghihiganti at kapatawaran, kailangang pumili ni Sandra. Ang ipaglaban ang lalaking minahal niya, o ang kaluluwang matagal nang winasak ng mga Mercer? Dahil sa mundong ginagalawan nila, walang kasiguraduhan kung alin ang mas masakit para kay Sandra: Ang maging isang prostitute na patuloy na niyuyurakan ng karamihan? O, ang mahalin ang taong may dugong nananalaytay mula sa mga taong dahilan ng kaniyang matagal nang paghihirap? Isang madilim, mainit, at mapusok na kwento ng pag-ibig, kasalanan, at pagtubos. Hanggang saan ang kaya mong isakripisyo, para sa pag-ibig na hindi mo kailanman inaasahan na darating upang mas lalo lamang na palalain ang iyong sitwasyon?

Sofia Fernandez is Gabriel Montero’s one great love, ang babaeng kanyang pinakamamahal. He calls her his Angel and he has been there sa lahat ng importanteng kaganapan sa buhay nito. He has been there because he was her bestfriend. Isang tawag at iyak lang nito, naroon agad siya para maibigay ang pangangailangan nito. He had love her for so long, probably the first time he laid eyes on her but he was so afraid to cross the line lalo na at may isang sekreto siyang pinakatago tago rito. A secret that might ruin more than their friendship, and he can’t just afford to lose her. Not in his lifetime. ‘Di bale nang bestfriend, huwag lang itong mawala sa kanya. Sofia thinks that life has been too unfair for her, being orphaned at the age of seven, at ang kunin ang lalaking una niyang minahal dahil sa sakit nitong leukemia, buti at nariyan lagi si Gab. Gab has always been her knight in shining armor, her confidant. Iyon ngalang lagi siyang namomroblema sa mga babae nito, sobra kasi nitong gwapo maliban sa matalino at mayaman din ito. Pero isang araw bigla siyang nagising na sobra na siyang apektado sa mga hawak at haplos nito. Ang isang bagay na lubhang ikinakatakot niya. A man with unconditional love for the woman he loves and a woman still mending a broken heart. Magiging pabor ba ang tadhana sa kanila o mas magiging marahas? I do not own the photo. Credits to the rightful owner.

Kailangan lamang ni Elaine Dela Cruz ng pekeng boyfriend para makaligtas sa kahihiyan sa kasal ng kanyang kapatid. Ngunit lihim na binago ng kanyang limang-taong-gulang na henyong anak ang lahat....hiring the highest-tier client in the system. Axel Torres, a cold billionaire CEO… at ang lalaking minsang umabandona sa kanya dahil sa isang mapanirang hindi pagkakaunawaan, ay muling bumalik na walang kaalam-alam sa katotohanan.

Sa loob ng pitong taong pagsasama, manhid at parang yelo lamang ang pakitungo ni Samuel, Varron sa kanya, habang si Mauren Piñeda naman ay lagi lang nakangiti. Dahil mahal na mahal niya ito, naniniwala siyang balang araw ay mapapalambot din niya ang puso nito. Pero ang hinihintay niya ay hindi iyon. Sa halip, ang sumalubong sa kanya ay ang pagkahulog nito agad sa ibang babae at ang iparamdam dito ang pagmamahal at pag-aarugang matagal na niyang inaasam. Pilit pa rin niyang pinangatawanan ang pagsasama nila. Hanggang sa dumating ang kaarawan niya lumipad pa siya nang malayo para makasama ang asawa at anak, pero iniwan siya nito para samahan ang ibang babae. Naiwan siyang mag-isa sa malaking bahay. Doon na tuluyang nawalan ng pag-asa si Mauren. At nang makita niyang mas gusto pa ng anak niya na yung babae ang maging ina nito, wala na siyang naramdaman kahit kaunting sakit o awa. Gumawa siya ng kasunduan sa diborsyo, isinuko na rin ang kustodiya sa anak, at umalis nang buong dangal. Hinayaan na lang niya ang mag-ama at naghintay na lang ng papeles. Iniwan niya ang pamilya at bumalik sa trabaho. Yung dating minamata ng lahat, ngayon ay madali nang kumita at umabot ang yaman niya sa mahigit isang-daang bilyon. Pero naghintay siya nang matagal, wala pa ring lumabas na papel. At ang mas nakakagulat, yung lalaking dati na ayaw umuwi, ngayon ay parang linta na kung dumikit ay araw-araw nang umuuwi. Nang malaman niyang desidido na siyang makipaghiwalay, hinarang siya nito sa isang sulok at seryosong sinabing, "Diborsyo? Imposible 'yan.”

This story was about my bitter and sweet love story. My bitter-sweet love story began when I was twelve years old. I had a huge crush on my neighbor, Dean Samaniego. He's tall, handsome, and smart but a little bit aloof, especially to me. He always ignored me though we were just neighbors. After six long years of having a crush on Dean, I finally decided to give up my feelings for him. The fact finally hits on me, that no matter what I did he's not going to like me back. We moved to another city after a tragedy falls on my family. Since then, Dean and I have never met again. But after ten long years, we finally meet each other. He is now a lawyer, a well-known and successful public defender while I'm just a small coffee shop owner. After I met him again I realized that I still liked him a lot, but I found out that he's already engaged to someone else. Is this a second chance that God gave me to pursue Dean again or a second chance for me to feel the heartache that I once was felt before?