Press Pause

In the bedroom, I am being manipulated into various positions. A strange man reaches out toward me and fondles my body roughly with his callused hands. He leans in closer and tells me to relax because it will help release the milk quickly. The man before me is my husband's best friend. He was hired to be my lactation therapist. His hands roam across my waist slowly and pause right at my chest. I can hear him saying in a hoarse voice, "I'm going to start massaging here." I can't help but shudder before closing my eyes tightly.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Underneath the bright lights, the man makes me lie facedown on the bed. Then, he pushes my waist down from behind, seemingly looking for the best spot. I feel something odd press against me and cry out, telling him to stop. He doesn't, though. In fact, he grabs hold of my belt.

Her life had changed drastically and with no pause whatsoever to let her adjust. First, it was her family, then what was hers and now… she had nothing and no one by her side. Many people told her many things. And at the back of her mind, she never forgot the words themselves, from whom they came from. In her new life she struggled to keep her face while still facing constant trouble and sometimes near death incidents. Removed from her family and taken to another. Treated like garbage and worse than the servants. Through thick and thin, she still loved. And soon enough, it paid.

The first experiment in the world of retrieving memories after death succeeds, and my memories are going to be broadcast live all over the Internet. My dad has just learned about my death, but he only says in a disgusted tone, "Who would want to see the memories of someone who is selfish, mean, and has nothing commendable at all about them? Today is the wedding day of Zoe and Cameron. Pause the live broadcast and stop being so sickening!" Zoe is my stepsister, and Cameron is supposed to be my fiance. After that, my father finds out the truth from the live broadcast of my memories. He begs for my forgiveness tearfully but… I'm already dead.

When struggling Chloe Quinn agrees to fake engagement with the billionaire Jake Wolfe, she thinks she knows the rules, play the perfect fiancée, smile for press, and walk away with a pay check. But Jake isn’t just cold he is heart broken and behind Chloe’s smile is a secret of her own.

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.

Elara is the future Alpha Queen, a princess who doesn't have a wolf yet possesses an anonymous power that protects her. Only she and her best friend knew a secret condition of her wolf. She belongs to the direct descendants of the Moon Goddess thus her pack is forbidden to reject their mates but will the princess make a new rule when she gets to know that she is mated to a rogue?. Will she go against the rules and risk her life to reject her mate just because he's a rogue and Alpha of a rogue pack? (This book is on pause and will be resumed in August. Kindly, check out my other ongoing book where I'm giving daily updates - Betrayed by fated, Chased by his half-brother)

While enrolling my son in an elite school, the administrator suddenly tells me my marriage certificate is forged. "According to our records, your marital status is listed as single." "But I've been married to my husband, Chandler Leighton, for seven years!" Behind me, other parents waiting in line burst out laughing mockingly. "Did she just say Chandler Leighton? She must be dreaming." Amid their ridicule, I leave and head straight to the city hall for a confirmation. And as a wife of seven years, my marital status in the system is stated as "Single". A cold dread washes over me as I press. "Who is Chandler Leighton's legal wife?" The clerk flatly spats out a name, "Heather Hammington." It was that name again! I rush home, ready to confront Chandler, but pause just outside the door when I hear voices inside. "It's been seven years, Mr. Leighton. Do you still have no plans to grant Mrs. Leighton a legal status?" After a lengthy pause, Chandler finally answers, "Just wait a little longer. Heather lost both her parents… I'm the only one who can help her, so she needs this title." "What if Mrs. Leighton finds out?" "Danielle loves me too much to leave, even if she finds out. Once Heather has established her foothold in the business industry, I'll make it official with Danielle and give her a true marriage certificate." He sounds so certain, unaware that I'm standing just outside the door with tears streaming down my face. "You'll be disappointed, you liar." I take out my phone and dial a number I haven't called in years. "Mom, I accept the Atwoods' marriage arrangement."

It was all professional till she discovered that her all-official ruthless CEO boss who sought perfection in everything was a *Stripper!* Billionaire playboy Andre Quinn plays the hearts of women like the king of chess... But in the business world, he makes a pawn of his employees and fires them at the slightest offence. He is unapologetic about his ruthlessness and wears his sex appeal like a duplicate skin. But there will be a pause in his life when his meticulous assistant, Clara discovers his secret which conceals the even darker sides of his life. She has stripped him bare, but will they both lay their vulnerabilities and secrets on one another's feet, starting another arrangement although it might burn them raw?

There is a saying that work should not be mixed with pleasure. The CEO of Marshmello Printing Press, Mike Ross, seems to be doing the exact opposite of this. Isioma becomes a huge victim of this power-drunk CEO. How is an innocent, naïve girl supposed to navigate her life with work, friendship, pleasure, and love mixed into one without messing up the grey lines? Read Houston Reels to find out.