One Hell Of A Ride

It all began with a single post about canceling a food delivery order. Overnight, I became the internet's punching bag. Thousands of vicious messages flooded my inbox, filled with photoshopped memorials urging me to die. They doxxed my family, plastered my personal details across shady websites, and used AI to create obscene images of me, spreading them in vile chat groups. They spread lies about my income, claiming it came from illicit sources, and accused me of carrying diseases. I didn't call the police or block the messages. Instead, I read every hateful word before singling out the 100 worst offenders. Every day, I sent each one a luxurious meal: Boston lobster, Australian wagyu, the works. Each delivery came with a simple note: [Thank you for your hard work.]

EXCERPT: Students were running for their lives, vampires were hunting down their preys, friends betrayed friends by leaving them behind and saving their own lives first and soon, they all spread across the streets, causing chaos and killing anyone that they came across. There was carnage everywhere and from where Amber and the others stood, horror filled their eyes and Amber knew just what was happening. It was like the story that Hazel had told her back at the bookshop. The Chosen One didn't make a sacrifice. She wanted revenge and these were the army she was after. The last war was not really the last after all. Now, the fate of mortality lies in her hand. She was the Chosen One, but she does not remember any of that, even though she has a feeling that she knew these people. *** This is a story of Amber Willow, a seventeen year old girl living in a small City called Cinder. Though, her life doesn't always go according to the way it should, she believed she was just as normal as the rest of the kid out there but what she didn't realize was that, she was the One sent to bring an end to the existence of the wild creatures and because of that, other covens wanted her dead. The day she remembers who she really is, is the day the war would continue from where she last ended it and this time, she would not make the same mistake she made the last time. Her revenge would begin and it would start from the ones who took away the people dear to her. One by one, she would haunt them down and put an end to their immortality. ---Kyra Blackburn

Itinakwil ng ama kaya't anim na taong nawala sa Pilipinas si Jenna. Kailangan lang niyang bumalik ng bansa dahil sa trabaho. Hindi niya naman akalain na magugulong muli ang buhay niya nang bumalik ng bansa lalo pa at bumalik uli ang ala-ala ng nakaraang gusto na niyang kalimutan. Dumagdag pa sa sakit ng ulo niya ang "out of the blue" na proposal ng isang Zian Walton Escobar. Ni hindi niya personal na kilala ang lalaki kaya't ipinagtataka niya ang pag-alok nito ng kasal sa kanya. Hindi na sana niya sasakyan ang kahibangan ng lalaki dahil maaaring pinag-tripan lang siya nito lalo pa't alam niyang isa sa pinakamayaman sa bansa ang angkan nito. Ang tanging nakapagpukaw ng interes niya ay ang malaking pagkakahawig nito sa anak niyang si Xavier. Sino nga ba si Zian Walton Escobar?

Isang mainit na gabi, ang unang pagkakamali ko. But the hell I care? Dinala ako sa langit ng lalaking iyun, magpabebe pa ba ako? sh*t gabi gabi kong hinahanap ang katawan ng lalaking iyun kaya gabi gabi akong bumalik sa bar para sa kanya. Doon ko lang rin siya makita sa bar sa gabi. Nanlaki ang mata ko ng makita ang news at nakita ko ang mukha ng ng lalaki, he's a billionaire!? the hell! may asawa ba yan!? Mabilis kong sinearch ang pangalan sa internet. Oh, single but delikado parin ang buhay natin sa lalaking iyan. Iiwasan ko na yan, hindi na ako babalik sa bar. Every night hinanap siya ng aking katawan pero tiniis ko lahat at ako nalang ang nagpapaligaya sa sarili ko. Hanggang sa nahanap ng lalaki ang condo ko. Umaga, tanghali, gabi man ginawa namin iyun pero syempre nagiingat kami lalo na ako! lugi ako pag may makatakas na sperm. Pag bumisita iyun wala kaming ginawa kung ang painitin ang isa't isa. Sa kusina, kwarto, sa hagdanan, sa sofa.. kahit saang sulok sa condo ko. Ngayon naiisipan niyang gawin namin iyun sa iba't ibang lugar, like beach, hotel at marami pa. Sino naman ako para tumanggi diba? argh! Pero hindi ko inakalang tumibok na ang puso ko para sa kanya. Hindi na ang katawan ko ang naghahanap sa kanya, ang buong pagkatao ko na. Delikado ako pero anong magagawa ako? napapasaya niya ako, hindi naman ako. Napapasaya ko rin siya. Fubu lang ang relasyon pero ginusto ko to, panindigan ko.

Mula sa isang "blended family," si Chantelle ay lumaking naiiba. Siya'y pinalaki nang may pagmamahal ng kanyang lola matapos mawala ang kanyang ina. Itinakwil siya ng kanyang amang si Gérard, na kontrolado ng bagong asawang si Rhonda, at napag-iwanan ng kanyang mababaw na kapatid na si Mégane. Natutunan niyang mabuhay sa katahimikan. Nang magkasakit nang malubha ang kanyang lola, isang diagnosis ang gumulo sa kanyang buhay. Walang suportang pamilya ni sapat na pera, tinanggap ni Chantelle ang isang hindi inaasahang alok: isang daang gabi kapalit ng isang milyong euro, kasama ang isang mayamang lalaking hindi niya malalaman ang pagkakakilanlan. Sa bawat pagkikita, nakasuot ng maskara ang lalaki, nananatiling tahimik, at hindi pinapayagang magsalita si Chantelle. Tanging mga anonymous na bank transfer at isang nakakalunod na pabango ang naiiwan niyang alaala. Isang araw, napilitan siya ng kanyang ama na dumalo sa isang family dinner. Doo'y nabigla siya nang makitang kasama ang nobyo ni Mégane: si Collen Wilkinson, ang malamig at hindi maabot na CEO ng malakas na kumpanyang pinapasukan niya bilang isang simpleng empleyado. Nang magkasalubong ang kanilang mga mata, nagulo siya. Isang detalye ang sumiklab sa kanyang isip: ang pabango nito. Iyon mismo ang pabango ng lalaking naka-maskara na kasama niya sa labindalawang gabi... at may natitira pang walumpu't walo. Ngayon, pumasok ito sa kanyang buhay sa liwanag ng araw, at kailangan niyang harapin ang katotohanang nagkukubli sa likod ng nakagugulong kontratang ito.

For as long as I can remember, my family and I have been living in an underground basement that's completely shut off from the outside world. My parents have told me that the zombie apocalypse is terrorizing the outside world. The air is completely plagued with the zombie virus, and we'll die if we ever leave the basement. In order to save the supplies—which are already dwindling, to begin with—I've starved myself to the point I'm all skin and bones despite being only 18 years old. When I realize that there's only one last can of food left, I leave behind a suicide note. "Mom, Dad, now there's one less mouth to feed. You'll last a few more days." After that, I slit my wrist right away. Once I'm dead, my soul phases through the thick and heavy metal door. Bright sunlight illuminates the entire world. It's a beautiful, peaceful world filled with greenery. I can even hear birds chirping in the distance. Mom, Dad, and a bunch of people are throwing a barbecue party on the lawn. The mouth-watering smell of food being grilled permeates the air. So, it turns out that the zombie apocalypse is just a lie that's designated to trap me inside the fortress. I'm the only one who has died in this sunny, peaceful world.

“Stay by my side for the next month—like a real mate, after that, I won't disturb you.” I retorted, my heart was beating against my ribs. His eyes darkened, “Who are you to negotiate with me?” He groaned in-between gritted teeth.  “Just one month, Adrien. I will leave your life forever.” My breath came out rough and raspy. Adrien slowly released me, stepping away from me. My chest raised and fell with heavy breath, I let out a cough due to how hard he had held me. “Just one month?” He asked, eyeing me suspiciously. ****** Celeste Magnus was born a princess… For three years, Alpha Adrien Orion treated her like a stranger. To him, Celeste was nothing but a manipulative woman who lied about their mate bond to trap him in marriage.  His loyalty belonged to another woman, while Celeste endured endless coldness, whispers from the pack, and a husband who never believed a single word she said. But Celeste is done begging for love. Pregnant and exhausted from years of humiliation, she finally asks for one thing—freedom. One month for Adrien to help her awaken her wolf. After that, their marriage will end, and she will leave his pack forever. Adrien agrees without hesitation. To him, divorcing the woman who deceived him should be easy. But living under the same roof begins to reveal cracks in the story he has believed for years. The Luna he once ignored shows a strength he never noticed… and the more he watches her, the more something feels terribly wrong. What if Celeste never lied? What if the truth about their mate bond was hidden all along? And when Adrien finally uncovers the secret that destroyed their marriage… Will it already be too late to stop Celeste from walking away forever?

On our wedding anniversary, I ask my husband, Luke Blackburn, to buy me some fish stew. Since I'm in my first trimester, I keep vomiting every now and then due to morning sickness. Right now, I have an intense craving for fish stew. But Luke comes home empty-handed in the middle of the night. He claims that he's completely forgotten about my request. I don't say anything at all. All I notice is a strand of long hair sticking to Luke's collar that doesn't belong to me. Some time later, I see the fish stew I never got to eat in a photo that Luke's colleague, Ruby Pollard, has uploaded to her social media feed. The caption reads, "Luke ordered this dish for me. He knows that I love fish stew from this particular restaurant the most. I'm so touched by his gesture!" In the photo, I see a pair of familiar hands picking out fish bones from the meat tenderly just for Ruby.

Si Liana Cruz, isang simpleng dalaga, ay hindi inaasahang nakatagpo ng isang gabi ng kahinaan kasama si Vincent Devereux, isang malamig at makapangyarihang bilyonaryo. Inakala nilang isa lamang itong panandaliang pagkikita, ngunit muling nagkrus ang kanilang landas nang mapunta si Liana sa kumpanyang pag-aari ni Vincent. Nadiskubre ni Liana na siya ay nagdadalang-tao at napilitang harapin ang katotohanan nang mabunyag ito sa isang insidente sa trabaho. Sa gitna ng iskandalo at pagkansela ng nakatakdang kasal ni Vincent, kinailangan niyang pumili sa pagitan ng kapangyarihan at responsibilidad. Sa huli, pinili niya ang panindigan ang kanyang anak at matutong magmahal, habang si Liana ay natutong magtiwala muli.

Katherine has to marry before twenty eight to inherit her mothers company. Days before the wedding she finds her fiancé with her stepsister. She walks out, drinks, and crosses paths with the low key CEO, Cade Lawson, a man she mistakes for a gigolo. In that haze she signs a marriage certificate with him without knowing. Now she wakes up tied to a powerful CEO and pushed closer to the first love she thought she lost.