Once There Was An Ugly Barnacle

They said I was beautiful — but not real. That my smile was perfect — but my past made me broken. I spent years trying to prove I was more than the girl who changed her face to survive the world’s cruelty. I married Julian Vale, believing love would finally see me. I called Serena Blake my sister, trusting her more than my own reflection. And when my world collapsed under secrets, silence, and the weight of never being enough — I disappeared. Then I opened my eyes… Ten years earlier. Before the surgery. Before the vows. Before I forgot who I was beneath the makeup and the mask of confidence. This time, I don’t need to be fixed. This time, I don’t need to be forgiven. I remember every lie. Every betrayal. Every time I silenced my voice to keep the peace. So I’m not here to win back love. I’m not here to punish the past. I’m here to become the woman I was always meant to be — unedited, unafraid, and finally, completely seen. I was more than pretty. This time, I’ll live like I believe it.

The day before Henry Baker and I are supposed to marry, my mother sedates me. She makes my twin sister marry Henry instead. A few years later, the company Henry established turns into a thriving empire. My sister, Diana Halliwell, flourishes with him. While I was at the lowest point in my life, my childhood friend, Jorge Ward, proposed. It's only after marriage that I realize he's worthless. Diana and Henry attend various parties. They enjoy delicious food and wear expensive clothes. Meanwhile, I end up exhausted after having to cook and clean for my family. One night, Mom speaks softly to Jorge when she thinks I've fallen asleep. "I was worried she would find out the truth about what happened back then, but it seems she's too dumb to notice anything." Jorge laughs. "You're a genius, Erica. You laced Laura's water with sleeping pills so Diana could marry Henry on her behalf. I'm glad to see how happy Diana is now." Mom sighs. "I just feel bad for you. You've always liked Diana, yet you're forced to live with a wash-out like Laura…"

Karena ingin keluar dari permintaan kolot orang tua masing-masing, sepasang sahabat melakukan tindakan yang dianggapnya terbaik dan sama-sama menguntungkan. Tindakan tersebut akan mengikat mereka seumur hidup, meski keduanya belum mempunyai cinta–layaknya sepasang kekasih. Seiring kebersamaannya, benih-benih cinta di antara Andri dan Zelda pun tercipta, sehingga membuat keduanya sulit terpisahkan. Apalagi dengan adanya kehadiran buah atas tindakan yang mereka ambil. Cinta itu milik semua orang, termasuk sepasang sahabat seperti kita–Zelda Kinarya Pagory. Meski awalnya kita sepakat bahwa tindakan ini hanya sebagai pelarian, tetapi kenyataan berkata lain. Lambat laun aku memiliki rasa berbeda kepadamu. Bukan rasa sekadar seorang sahabat, tetapi lebih dari itu. Rasa yang membuatku enggan berpaling darimu, melainkan keinginanku untuk selalu bisa menjadi pelindungmu–Andri Saputra Himawan.

He stole my name. Then he tried to steal my life. But he’ll never steal my heart will he?” When August Hale, a quiet literature student with a past he tries to forget, transfers to a prestigious university under a scholarship, all he wants is to stay invisible, graduate, and move on. But his plan falls apart the moment he discovers another student on campus using his exact full name. Same name. Same birthday. Same hometown. But this August Hale is wealthy, charming, and cruel and he already knows too much. At first, August thinks it’s a prank. A coincidence. Until he starts losing things His place in classes His reputation His identity The fake August Hale, whose real name is Sebastian Wolfe, is playing a dangerous game. And when he sets his sights on the real August, obsession begins to blur the line between identity theft and romantic fixation. August wants answers. Sebastian wants August. But as August begins to dig into Sebastian’s past, he unearths something much darker than he expected a twisted reason why Sebastian chose him and why he can’t let him go.

On the third day of the Cold War with my boyfriend, I found a document called "Love of My Life" on his computer. Every word is considered, true feelings, and the heroine is his first love.

During a critical meeting, my medical case notes were swapped for "Confession of an Affair”. "Exhibit A: She knowingly intruded into a marriage, a disgrace to her profession." "Exhibit B: Harassing the patient's family and destroying their family." "Exhibit C: Callously endangering lives, deliberately plotting against the wife and child to take her place!" In front of hospital leadership, the patient’s family accused me of being a homewrecker, attempting to shame me into confessing. It was chaotic until she physically assaulted me, leaving me with a concussion. When my husband rushed in from the operating room, I said coldly, "Looks like this ‘real wife’ is being called the mistress! Why would you still defend me?” Without hesitation, my husband stepped forward and slapped the real mistress. “Security!” he called out. “Get this troublemaker out of here, now!”

Don Arturo a.k.a. 'Godfather', the infamous mercenary of all times. Contracted by bosses to eliminate their opponents like chess pieces all over the world. Not until he decided to retire and left a legacy behind to bloom someday when the rightful heir comes to replace him in his throne. However due to corrupted politics, unfairly judgments in the court of law, forgery, and unstoppable horrifying crimes which happened in the society as years passed by, he formed a league in a restricted island and trained children he picked in streets in exchange of becoming a living, killing machine. He taught these children to fight and plan to execute bad people someday.

Cora is an Omega rank who is constantly bullied. She wants nothing more than to be loved and accepted for who she is. She is the family's breadwinner, yet she is bullied by both her parents and siblings. Her life isn't as colorful as that of wolves, which is why she strives for equality. You should be appreciated regardless of your rank. Until she met a man one day. Will that man be able to assist her in achieving her goals or will he destroy her?

Book 1 of 3 Chantria Yvonne Zima is the first heiress of the Zima family and the eldest of the triplets. But before she can even inherit them all, her father instructs her to fly over to the Philippines and hide. Before she can even reveal her face to the public, she is forced to change her identity to prevent their family’s enemies from coming after the heiress. But when someone close to her dies because of that, she can’t just stand idle and let their enemies do what they want. She will avenge her, no matter what anyone says. She will hunt the one who killed her sister even to the ends of the world.

Zoriana Gregory, a young woman of about 22 years, shares her secrets, dreams, her life experiences and desires about her future husband with her diary. Her fantasy of her ideal future husband soon turns reality when her diary somehow falls in the hand of someone she never thought she'd meet again after many long years. Her first love... Liam Whyte Liam visits his country again after closely 11 years, now a grown up and a successful young man. While on his quest to finding his childhood friends again, he came upon a diary during his meeting with an acquaintance of his brother. NOTE: THIS IS THE SYNOPSIS OF THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS ANTHOLOGY. AND IT IS TITLED 'DIARY OF ZORIANNA' IT WAS, A BEAUTIFUL BREAKUP; Is simply a collection of several short stories, combined into one. Each book in the anthology is a standalone.