Other Expectations Novels & Stories

Mariya Amber Sason lives with her aunts who always watch her every move. They never fail to give adverse comments to every man who approaches her, so when her father constantly shows up-even if she despised him growing up-she accepts the invitation to go to Brooklyn, New York for a vacation. But what if a trouble arises as she boards the plane? Will her splendid expectations turn into a nightmare? Or is it just the start of the troubles that await her?

After a heartbreak, Isabella spends one reckless night with a stranger. Then walks away, thinking it meant nothing. But the next morning, her new boss turns out to be that same man… he spent a night with. And when two lines appear on a pregnancy test… everything changes. Bound by a contract with no love and no expectations, they pretend it means nothing. But the more they fake it… the more real it becomes. When betrayal and manipulation threaten to tear them apart… Will Isabella walk away again… or finally stay?

A romantic confrontation between two queers arranged in a marriage they didn’t want. Donatella and Pietro both came from families known in the fashion industry, and being queer is a tough challenge because of their parents’ expectations on them. After their successful wedding, Donatella and Pietro created an agreement, but how can they succeed when one starts to show concern and one starts to feel affection even they know to themselves that they are both not into one another. Two queer strangers that will develop confusion, but falling in love is the only solution?

Hindi plano ni Alexie Kim Padilla na magmahal ulit. After being cheated on by her ex-boyfriend, she promised herself one thing—no attachments, no expectations, no pain. Kaya nang lumipat siya ng network, ang goal niya lang ay magsimula ulit at iwan ang lahat ng nakaraan. Pero isang banggaan sa hallway ang magpapabago ng lahat. Doon niya nakilala si Emmanuel Villa—gwapo, charming, at… hindi pala straight. Parte siya ng LGBTQ+ community at may boyfriend na rin. Sa unang tingin, alam na ni Alexie—hindi pwede. Pero bakit parang ang hirap umiwas? Habang tumatagal, mas nagiging malapit sila sa isa’t isa. From simpleng tulong, naging comfort, hanggang sa maging sandalan sa mga sakit na pareho nilang tinatago. Pareho silang nasaktan, pareho silang takot… pero pareho ring unti-unting nahuhulog. Hanggang sa dumating ang moment na kailangan nilang tanungin ang sarili nila—kaya ba nilang sugalan ang isang bagay na alam nilang komplikado? Isang relasyon na walang label. Isang pag-ibig na bawal. At isang katotohanan na mahirap tanggapin. Nang masira ang lahat dahil sa isang pagkakamali, mapipilitan silang harapin ang tanong na matagal nilang iniiwasan— Kung ang pag-ibig ay hindi ordinaryo… karapat-dapat pa rin ba itong ipaglaban? Sa mundong puno ng judgment, expectations, at takot—pipiliin ba nila ang isa’t isa? O hahayaan na lang nilang maging isang alaala ang lahat?

There are dreams we've carefully planned with specific timelines, only to feel dissappointed when none of them come true. It's as if we've been pressuring ourselves, comparing our progress to others, and in the process, we forget to pause, breathe, and relax. For Danica Raven Pineda, every second counts. Vacation? She'd rather spend her time reading books and attending seminars. She's set high expectations for herself, and relaxation hasn't been a part of her plan. At times, we also need to allow ourselves exceptions-like falling in love with someone unexpected, such as the Conglomerate Samuel Dane Salvador. She adds a new chapter of her life-- the one that she did not looking foward for based on the timeline she has set on herself.

Addie has a crush to one of his brother's childhood friend, Zim. He is an achiever, the reason that Addie admires him the most. One night, she dared herself to admit her feelings for the guy. But Zim just laughed, leaving her a thought that he took her confession as a joke. She made herself embarassed the next day, which made her decision to avoid Zim in all possible ways as she can. Zim began to notice Addie avoiding him. He didn't know why he hates being avoided by that girl. Zim made his way to make up with her. He made it clear that he didn't want to see Addie flirting with another guy but him alone. They start dating each other as a couple, the day after. After years of abandoning her with his brother, his father returned in their place together with his new family. She discovered that their biological mother has died when she was born. The mother they had known since they were kids was actually her mother's twin. Zim didn't leave Addie at her worst. He stays by her side until they become successful together. Addie believe they had the perfect relationship. However, something happened that was far beyond her expectations. He met Zim's mother accidentally while they were dining in a restaurant. Contrary to her expectations, the man denied her in front of herself and his mother. Addie suffer so much pain causes by the man she loved the most. Zim tried to explain his reason and want them back, but Addie refuse to believe them. Zim had left no choice but to approach Addie's father and beg to marry his daughter, despite their strained relationship.

​In the high-stakes theater of the Philippine legal elite, Danah Elise Laureano was the ultimate masterpiece—a woman sculpted by expectations, bound by a golden engagement, and destined for a throne of power. Every breath she took was calculated; every move she made was a victory for her family’s legacy. Alongside her fiancé, the formidable Adrian Villareal, she was half of a dynasty that the world deemed untouchable. ​But perfection is a fragile glass, and it only takes one stone to shatter an empire. ​That stone was Lucas Salazar. ​The rebel. The rival. The man who dared to seize the crown she was born to wear. When the Bar Exam results were etched in stone, the world didn't see Danah Elise at the summit. They saw him. And in the wake of her "failure," the pristine mask of the Laureano heiress began to crack, revealing a woman suffocating under the weight of her own name.

Megumi Vergara grew up with pressure and high expectations from her family. As the oldest daughter of one of the wealthiest and influential families in the country, she must serve as a role model for her two younger siblings. But when Megumi became pregnant, she brought dishonor to her family's name and drove them to forsake her. Megumi raised her kid alone for four years while working as a server at a pub. But their peaceful life turned into chaos when Riaz Trevor entered their life, the last person to whom she will introduce her child, her daughter's father. When she tried to introduce her child to Riaz, someone's stole her chance. Another woman came and stole her identity that ended up to a big misunderstanding and made her runaway from him.

In the elite circles of Angeles, Pampanga, where reputation is everything and love is often a luxury, Elara Villanueva agrees to an arranged marriage with Lucas Del Rosario to save her family’s crumbling perfume empire—but the moment she steps into his world, she is irresistibly drawn to his guarded older brother, Adrian. As stolen glances turn into dangerous emotions, loyalties begin to fracture: her best friend Mira is in love with Adrian, while secrets within the Del Rosario family quietly surface. What begins as a perfect arrangement spirals into betrayal, heartbreak, and a truth no one is ready to face. When everything explodes just days before the wedding, Elara is forced to make an impossible choice between duty and desire. In the aftermath of shattered expectations, she walks away from the life chosen for her—only to discover that the kind of love worth fighting for is the one you choose, even if it costs you everything.

Seraphina Velez's world crumbles the night she discovers her fiancé’s betrayal. Heartbroken and humiliated, she escapes to a quiet bar, vowing to herself: “I will marry the first man I meet. No love, no expectations—just freedom.” Fate, it seems, has a wicked sense of humor. The first man she meets is calm, imposing, and dangerously charming—Alexander Cross, her ex-fiancé’s father. What begins as a scandalous, impulsive marriage of convenience slowly turns into something neither of them anticipated. But Seraphina harbors a secret: she is not just a wounded woman—she is the heiress of a hidden billion-dollar empire, a truth that even Alexander doesn’t know. As betrayal, power, and desire collide, Seraphina must navigate a world where trust is scarce, love is risky, and one misstep could cost everything. In the end, the man she never expected might just be the one she was always meant to have.