Post Transition Metals

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm waiting for Zeke Jones to come home after cooking up an extravagant meal. When Zeke returns, he doesn't even glance at the meal I've prepared for him. Instead, he proceeds to pack a bag. "I can't celebrate Thanksgiving with you this year," he says. I take another bite of my turkey and say nothing. At the stroke of midnight, Zeke's first love posts a new photo on her social media page. In the photo, she's lying on Zeke's back with a bright smile on her face. The moon outside the window is bright. "Happy to spend Thanksgiving with good company," her caption reads. Instead of hysterically questioning Zeke about the post, I just tap on the "like" button without reacting in any way. Zeke calls me. His voice sounds panicked as he tries to explain himself. "Please don't misinterpret the post. I will definitely spend Thanksgiving with you next year…" I freeze for a few moments, letting out a small laugh. I don't offer him a reply. Next time, he says? Oh, Zeke, I'm afraid there won't be a next time.

We have been dating for ten years, but Vincent Carter has never been romantic toward me. However, before our wedding, he has someone deliver a delicate bracelet and an elegant dress to me. I take photos of them happily, only to find a card tucked inside the dress that's not addressed to me. Just as I'm about to contact Vincent, I see a post from Emily Foster, his childhood sweetheart, on her social media. "Someone stole something that belongs to me!" That's also how I find out Vincent has also bought her an apartment. The address stated on the card is for the unit downstairs. The gift is meant for unit 701, but it's delivered to me by mistake. I pick up the items and go downstairs, just in time to see Vincent gently comforting her in his arms. The moment he sees me, his face darkens with irritation. "Can you stop overreacting? You're always suspicious for no reason. Emily and I grew up together. If we were going to be together, you wouldn't even be in the picture!" If it were before, I would've been furious and demanded an explanation. But now, I simply let out a chuckle and toss the gifts onto him. "I wish you both the best, then."

I post a wedding photo with my fiance, Miles Kingston, on my Instagram story. But I forgot to hide it from his first love, Chloe Bennett. The very next day, Miles gets his revenge. He puts our wedding night up for auction online. After the wedding ceremony, I find Miles in a private room at the restaurant, holding my phone. Then, I hear him haggling with his buddies. "One million for one night. Not a cent less." "Miles, even if Aria's still a virgin, that price is way too much!" "Too much? She's my wife! I haven't even touched her yet! Push the bid up!" Everyone in the room bursts out laughing. "Seriously? You're ditching your wife on your wedding night? What if she totally flips out?" Miles scoffs. "She showed off our wedding to Chloe and made her upset. It already kills me that I couldn't marry the woman I actually love. Besides..." He holds up a blister pack of white pills and sneers. "With this, she'll be too out of it to even know who's touching her." My phone slips from my hand and hits the floor as tears slide down my cheeks.

For eight long years, Bryan Millan and I were married, but you’d never have known it by looking at his life. He never once acknowledged our relationship in public. Not a single post, not a single mention of me on his social media. Then came our anniversary. The day that was supposed to be about us. Instead, Bryan made an announcement on his Instagram account—just not the one I expected. There he was, hand in hand with his assistant, her draped in a wedding dress. The caption read: [When you're in love, you want the whole world to know.] The comments flooded in. [Bryan finally got married!] [Congrats! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together!] In that moment, I could no longer lie to myself. Bryan wasn't reserved. He just never loved me. So, I decided to let go. But he wasn't ready for that. He clung to me, desperate now. But I pried his hands off and laughed—a real, genuine laugh, the kind that comes from somewhere deep inside when you realize you're finally free. Then, I looked him straight in the eye and said the words I'd been holding in, "Don't beg me to come back. Because now that I don't love you, I've never felt better."

Pertemuan pertama Robin dan Vivian cukup dramatis. Kala itu, Robin menolong Vivian saat dikasari seorang pria. Robin mengira Vivian adalah Cynthia Pasha, aktris papan atas Indonesia. Nyatanya, Vivian adalah pengganti Cynthia khusus untuk acara-acara tertentu jika sang aktris sedang berhalangan hadir. Pertemuan kedua mereka jauh lebih mengesankan. Tanpa terduga, Robin dan Vivian berada dalam satu tim yang melakukan trekking menuju Annapurna Base Camp. Kebersamaan keduanya selama seminggu, membuat Vivian dan Robin merasa nyaman satu sama lain. Mereka adalah teman mengobrol yang klop, masing-masing memiliki luka masa lalu yang dibagi lapis demi lapis. Kembali ke Jakarta, pertemanan Vivian-Robin kian intens. Hingga cinta tak lagi bisa dibantah kehadirannya. Akan tetapi, jalan keduanya tak mulus. Sebab, ada benang kusut yang melibatkan kedua orangtua Vivian dan Robin di masa lalu. Bagaimana bisa Vivian memaafkan orang yang memiliki andil membuat masa kecilnya penuh kesedihan? Apakah sebaiknya dia melepaskan pria yang dicintainya saja dan menjalani hidup tanpa kehadiran Robin? Kover : Adobe Spark Post + Pinterest

"Whether you believe this or not, you've never left my mind since the day you left, Giselle. I looked for you in her and the things I was pursuing, but none of them made me feel close to how I feel when I'm with you." "You made your choice when you chose her, Noah, that you didn't want me. If you want my forgiveness, you'll have to do more than what you do." "If I must walk through glass for your forgiveness, then I'll do it as long as it will bring me back to you." *** Now, after years of struggle, Giselle returns—not as the naive girl who once let others dictate her fate but as a determined woman fighting for her children. With her twins suffering from a rare blood disease, Giselle is desperate for help and protection for her little ones. Noah, her ex-husband, is shocked to learn that he is the father of the twins. Now married to Octavia, his ambitious wife, Noah finds himself torn—between his marriage with Octavia and grappling with a heart that never truly let go of Giselle. As his hope to gain custody grows, he quickly learns that Giselle is no longer the woman he once knew, but a fierce mother intent on shielding her twins from the past. When Octavia realizes Noah's rekindled feelings for Giselle, she devises a manipulative plan to regain her hold over him and their family. Deception and unresolved emotions intertwine as a battle for control continues to show the price of ambition. *** [BILLIONAIRE HEIRESS SERIES] 1. The Billionaire's Substitute Ex-Wife Returns 2. My Billionaire Ex-Husband Chases Me Back 3. Ex-Wife Transition: The Comeback Of The Hidden Heiress 4. The Poor Billionaire Heiress Returns! They can all be read as standalone!

Wulver Pack Series: 1 (standalone) I run. It’s just who I am. Whenever things get tough, I bail. Every new situation I find myself in, I have an exit strategy. Because I know what could happen if I don’t. Things are about to get bad, and I don’t understand how or why. I’ve developed a life for myself where no one could suspect a thing out of the ordinary. I fit in - or at least try to. But here I am, ready to run. Let’s just hope I do so in time. *** I didn’t ask to be in these shoes. In fact, I was thoroughly looking forward to a life of little more than personal responsibility. I never saw my future tied to this place, no matter how much it is a part of me. The position was thrust upon me, though, and with no one else to step up, I had no choice. I do love it here. These are my people - my family - and this is my home. I couldn’t turn my back, even if I wanted to. That’s a type of betrayal I would never be able to stomach. If things had gone how they were supposed to, none of this would have fallen in my lap. Now that we’ve made it through the adjustment of transition of power, I am happy this is how my life has ended up, and my people are, too. Any semblance of my plans years ago have fallen by the wayside, but that’s just the nature of the beast - and I am the beast. Times are changing. I can feel it in my bones. I just hope we are ready, and I am capable of protecting those that are relying on me.

Even though this is my eighth time proposing to Beverly Galvan, she still coldly turns me down again. She says that she isn't ready yet and that she needs more time. Since that's the case, I tell myself I will wait as long as it takes. That's when I see it—her and my brother's marriage certificate, posted for everyone to see on her social media. When I question her about it, she merely says in a calm voice, "Timothy's unwell. He can't get too upset, so you'd better not start anything!" They are wearing wedding rings in that photo, and there is a barely visible bump on her belly. In that moment, the storm within me dissipates. Hitting the like button on the post, I type out a comment. "I wish you both a lifetime of joy. May the two of you grow old together!" A year later, a desperate-looking Beverly shows up in front of me, begging that we get back together. Unfortunately for her, her best friend, who was clearly pregnant, steps in with a smile and pushes her aside. "Give it a rest, will you? My husband already has a wife. We can have kids of our own. There's no need for him to be someone's fallback guy."

Before my wedding to Sophie Bennett, the impoverished student I've been sponsoring for ten years posts a photo on social media. "Successfully moved into the new apartment. Soph prepared such a big, soft bed for me!" In the photo, Zachary Wells lies sprawled on the wedding bed I bought for Sophie and my new home, taking a smug selfie with his hand waving at the camera. He's even wearing my wedding ring on his ring finger. Zachary also comments on his own post, "Just thinking about how I'm the first man to lie on this bed fills me with overwhelming happiness!" I reply with a question mark under his comment. The next second, Sophie's call comes through. "I'm just letting Zach experience the warmth of home. Why are you being so passive-aggressive?" In the background, I hear Zachary softly trying to calm her down. "Soph, he's not worth getting angry over." Hearing that, Sophie laughs and banters with him, then abruptly hangs up on me. The two of us have been together for ten years, from ages 18 to 28, and we've finally made it to our wedding day. But now, I no longer intend to go through with it.

I was on a business trip out of town when I got a text from my neighbor. [Can you and your husband keep it down? Also, one of your undies fell onto my balcony.] Shocked, I opened the photo she had sent. The underwear wasn't even my style, but it matched the one I'd seen in my husband's online shopping cart. He'd told me it was a gift for me, but I remember noticing the size—it was one size larger than mine. When confronted with the neighbor's message, my husband swore that the house must've been broken into and claimed the intruder left the item behind. But something about his story didn't sit right, so I decided to dig further. That was when I stumbled upon his social media. His latest post was just three words. [I bought this.] It was paired with a photo of a lingerie gift set. Beneath it, there was a comment. [I'm wearing it.] Attached was a picture of a woman's legs—and the unmistakable background of my living room. The evidence was undeniable. I packed up the underwear and brought it straight to the police. "My husband says our house was broken into. This was left behind by the intruder, and it might have DNA on it."