Onyx Ladies Rings

"Get up, I'm hungry. Cook for me NOW!" The authoritative tone jolted me awake, not giving me a moment to freshen up or even change. We don't sleep side by side; he stays in the master bedroom while I occupy the guest room. He can't stand being near me. It hurts deeply when those words come from him, but it's a recurring pattern. I hurriedly made my way downstairs, still tying the robe around me. In the kitchen, I began preparing his breakfast. You see, I'm his secret wife. No one knows except our parents and a few friends. Since we got married, not a day goes by without him reminding me that he doesn't love me. Not a day goes by without him hurting me. But that's alright because, as I've mentioned, I love him so much that I'm willing to do anything just to earn his love in return. A single tear escaped and fell onto the clove of garlic I was chopping. I quickly wiped it away. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Manang watching me. I took a deep breath to regain my composure before turning to her with a forced smile. "I'm sorry; I got emotional over garlic." I lied.

"They say if you truly love something, you have to let it go." Sino nga ba ang tamang babae para sa akin? Siya bang babaeng minahal ko nang sobra noon? O ang dati kong asawa, the woman I never wanted but had to marry?

“How much?” Nakunot ang noo ko habang nakatingin sa lalaking nasa loob ng mamahaling kotse, halos natatakpan na ng dilim ang mukha niya. “Excuse me? I don’t understand…” pero bigla akong natauhan nang makita ko ang suot kong skimpy club outfit. Itinaas ko agad ang mga kamay ko bilang depensa na mali ang iniisip nya . “I-I’m not a prostitute.” Ramdam na ramdam ko ang titig niya, parang binabalatan ako ng buhay sa mga titig nya. agad naman akong kinabahan at napaatras sa mga oras na iyon. “Get in the car.” His voice was a low growl, and with that, I turned on my heels and ran. ---

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."

Kylee Nicole Montenegro, ako 'yun. Labing-walong taong gulang na at malapit ng mag-kolehiyo. Hindi na ako nagho-homeschool; malapit na akong maging normal na estudyante, tulad ng pangako ni Dad. Homeschooled ako mula nung ako'y limang taon dahil sa isang aksidente. Madalas sabihin ng mga tao na marami daw nangyari sa buhay ko noong bata ako, pero isang bagay lang ang matandaan ko — isang panyo. Isang hindi kakilalang bata ang nagbigay sa akin nito, at hindi ko alam ang pangalan niya. Malamang, hindi ko na siya makikilala matapos ang maraming taon, pero umaasa ako na isang araw ay makakita ako sa kanya para magpasalamat. Ang hindi kakilalang ito ang tumulong sa akin nang mawala ako sa mall. Naalala ko ang bahagi ng pangyayari, pero hindi lahat. Napapangiti ako nang hindi ko namamalay. Pagkatapos kong lumabas ng banyo, napansin ko ulit ang panyo at ngumiti. Mukhang may kaunting paghanga ako sa taong nagbigay nito sa akin. Ilang taon na itong nasa akin at hindi ko pa ito nalalabhan. May nakasulat ding salitang "TRIST" dito. Iniisip ko kung pangalan ba ito. Nagtango na lang ako dahil wala akong alam. Nahulog sa malalim na iniisip, isang katok sa pinto ang bumalik sa akin sa realidad. "PUPUNTA NA!" sigaw ko nang marinig ko si Ate Lena na nagpapaalam na ang almusal ay handa na. Isinilid ko ulit ang panyo sa aparador, may kakaibang tanong pa rin sa aking isipan. SINO KA?

She thought she had it all—a peaceful life, a loving relationship, and a future she could finally count on. But everything shattered the moment she discovered the truth. He never planned to stay. He never planned to love her. He only wanted the child. Forced to make an impossible choice, she vanished, determined to protect the life growing inside her. For years, she lived in silence, hiding the truth, raising a secret no one could ever know. But fate has a cruel way of circling back. When the past resurfaces in the most unexpected way, everything she fought to protect hangs in the balance. The lies. The love. The billion-dollar secret. Some stories aren’t meant to stay buried. And some truths refuse to stay hidden.

Xiana took a deep breath when she reached her boss's office. "Amanda" he called the secretary who was his friend so she looked at him and smiled then said goodbye to the people he was talking to. "Hey, best friend" he laughed and put his arm around her.

Ang kasal ni Abigail kay Liam ay hindi dahil sa love, kundi dahil sa business deal. Kahit anong effort ni Abigail na ayusin ang relasyon nila, hindi niya mapawi ang galit ni Liam. Sa isang matinding phone call, sinabi ni Liam na gusto na niyang mag-divorce dahil sawang-sawa na siya. Initially, nagprotesta si Abigail pero sa huli, pumayag din siya. Habang pinipirmahan ang divorce papers, tiniyak ni Abigail na hindi makikialam si Liam sa negosyo ng pamilya niya. Ngayon, handa na siyang kalimutan si Liam at simulan ang bagong buhay. —- Abigail gazed at her signature and broke into a wide grin “ Liam Jones, from now on we’re strangers “

Palermo is a feared Mafia boss, commanding respect throughout the criminal underworld. He's a strikingly handsome and heavily tattooed man who exudes charisma, leaving women enraptured. As a wealthy and ruthless leader of the Mafia, he's unflinchingly willing to take lives. He's a figure who cares not for the concept of sin, but even he couldn't believe he'd fall in love at first sight with a woman he had only just laid eyes on. She was stunningly beautiful, and in his eyes, Ysabel was the only woman who truly held his attention. She was the first woman he wished to protect and cherish, and he never anticipated developing an interest in her, an interest that compelled him to know her, to draw close to her, and to become a part of her life. However, it was beyond belief that in the midst of violence, near-death experiences, and imminent peril, he found and came to know the captivating Ysabel. To his surprise, she even managed to steal his heart. It may sound peculiar and humorous, doesn't it? He was on the brink of death, yet he still managed to fall in love at first sight with this woman of extraordinary beauty whom he had just met. But he is Palermo Lazarus, a Mafia leader who would stop at nothing to possess and claim the woman who had entranced him and breathed life into a heart he once believed was as cold as stone. He became possessively infatuated with her and was resolute in making her his own.

Roxanne Jarvis had been married to Lucian for three long years, yet in all that time, he had never once touched her. Despite loving him deeply, Roxanne eventually came to terms with the fact that their marriage was nothing but an empty shell. With her heart breaking, she made one last request before walking away—she asked Lucian to spend just one night with her. Afterward, she left, facing the scorn and contempt of those around her. Six years passed, and Roxanne returned, not as the heartbroken woman she once was, but as a renowned, genius doctor—and with two twin children by her side. Now, men flocked to her, including her ex-husband Lucian, whose world was once again shaken by her presence.