Pretending Artinya

My husband died in a fire trying to save me, leaving behind a mountain of debt and a newborn child. I worked hard to pay off the debt while raising the child, only to unintentionally discover that my husband hadn’t died at all. Instead, he was sleeping with my cousin. “Honey, you’re so clever. You transferred all the company funds and faked your death, leaving that stupid wife of yours to shoulder all the debt. “She’s so clueless that she doesn’t even realize the son she’s raising isn’t hers, that I swapped him out. Once she’s done paying off the debts, the three of us can live a great life together.” I silently sneered, pretending I knew nothing, and continued to raise the child. Twenty years later, my son returned home after studying abroad. The company went public in New York. On the day of the IPO, my cousin appeared arm in arm with my husband, holding a paternity test. “Claire, your husband never died. We’ve been together all these years. Alex is my son. Now that you’ve been his mother for so long, isn’t it time to return him to me?” My husband also presented a divorce agreement. “I built this company from scratch. It’s premarital property. Sign the divorce papers, walk away with nothing, and you can leave now.” I smiled and told him, “I’ve prepared a special gift for you too. I wonder if you’ll like it."

My childhood sweetheart who promised to marry me the moment I graduated proposed to Camille Willow, my sister, during my graduation ceremony. At that moment, Dennis Malcolm, the most eligible and admired bachelor in Blington City's elite circle, stepped forward and confessed his love for me immediately after my childhood sweetheart's proposal was accepted. For five years after our marriage, Dennis showered me with devotion, treating me with such tenderness that it felt as though I were the center of his world. But everything shattered the day I overheard a conversation between him and his close friend. "Dennis, now that Camille's on top, are you really going to keep pretending with Tracy?" "It doesn't matter. I'll never have Camille. Besides, as long as I'm here, she'll never disrupt Camille's happiness," he answered. The paper notes he held dear, each one carefully preserved, revealed a harsh truth. Each one carried her name, accompanied by heartfelt wishes: "May Camille be released from her burdens. May she find peace within herself." "May Camille achieve all she dreams of, and may her heart love freely." "Camille, we were never meant to be together in this life. I can only hope that in another, we will walk side by side." … Five years of devotion shattered in a single moment of clarity. I crafted a false identity and planned an elaborate drowning to vanish without a trace. From this day forward, in this life and all others, we shall never cross paths again.

Warning: SPG | R18+ Some chapters contain mature content that may not be suitable for young readers. Read at your own risk! Eloise Manalo wanted to destroy the man who ruined her stepsister’s life. She believed that man was Estevan Alaric Foreman. The ruthless billionaire and dangerously captivating. Kaya kahit labag sa loob niya ay nilapitan niya ito sa isang club, nilunod ang konsensya sa alak, at hinayaang mangyari ang isang gabing puno ng tukso at kasalanan. She had a one-night stand with the devil himself. But the next morning, she wasn’t just left breathless; Estevan offered her a deal, at iyon ay ang maging girlfriend siya nito ng tatlong buwan. Attend his business or family events, live in his grand world, and pretend to be his. All to help him get revenge on the one person who’s taken everything from him—his younger brother. Ang hindi alam ni Estevan? Eloise thinks he’s the man who left her stepsister pregnant and alone. And what she doesn’t know? It wasn’t him. It was the brother he was trying to destroy. Both are playing a dangerous game. Estevan is using her to hurt someone else, and Eloise is pretending to be someone he can trust while waiting for the perfect time to destroy him. But the closer they get, the messier things become. Because desire doesn’t care about secrets. And revenge definitely has a price.

Sienna Carter is a small-town girl just trying to survive in the big city. Working long shifts at a diner, she never imagined that one reckless night would change her life forever. When she wakes up after a one-night stand with a mysterious stranger, she assumes she’ll never see him again. But fate has other plans. Damien Lancaster is the rebellious heir to one of the most powerful families in high society. Tired of his father’s control, he’s been living under the radar, pretending to be just another regular guy. But when a heated argument with his father pushes him too far, he makes a rash decision—to marry Sienna, the woman who unknowingly captured his attention. What starts as a petty act of defiance soon spirals into something neither of them expected. Thrust into a world of wealth, deception, and ruthless power plays, Sienna struggles to find her place. Damien fights his growing feelings for the wife he never planned to keep. And his family? They’ll do anything to tear her down. But when tragedy strikes and Sienna proves her worth by saving Damien’s younger sister, the tides begin to turn. What started as a marriage of convenience slowly becomes something real. And as secrets unravel and betrayals surface, Damien must decide—will he fight for the woman who changed his life, or will he let his family’s twisted legacy destroy their chance at happiness? A story of love, defiance, and redemption, Married to the Heir is a gripping romance filled with passion, power struggles, and a heroine who refuses to back down

Marcus P.O.V Catalina Island was the territory of my park and we had been trained not to reveal our identity to humans, but our only fear was the birth of a Primordial Guardian werewolf which was to put an end to all immortals including vampires and werewolves. My time to take the place of my father as the Alpha male was approaching and my park pressured me to go in search of my mate so I made a decision to leave after the autumn camp which the humans hosted but during the camp I found my mate and imprinted on her. 'Alicia' I couldn't forget her name as I brought the news to my father who was the Alpha but while I delivered the message we received a sign that the mortal catalyst who was designed to bear the fatal child had shown up on the Island. I took it on myself to put an end to the mortal catalyst only to realize that she was my mate. I was devastated, I couldn't kill my own mate so I hid it from my park pretending that I was still in search of her. I stayed away from her in order to keep her safe but that wasn't until I realised that my park had known who it was and knowing they were going to kill her I had to send her far away from the Island. I was either going to give her up to a human mate and suffer for the rest of my life, or take her despite the difficulties thereby turning my back on my park, or kill her and myself to save the life of my park.

"You don't probably think he would be the right one for me do you?" I said still pretending even though inside I had fallen in love with him. "He is definitely the one, and the good news is that I have spoken to him about it and he is openly obliged to do it because he promises that he won't be like the others," Viola said. At this point, I was very nervous. "You mean that he likes me?" I felt dazzled, as I dropped the pen in my hands unintentionally. "Yes, and he dares you to try him out," Viola smiled. I was almost short of words. "He had some guts," I muttered to myself. "Alright then, till I see what he can do," I said. Book One and Book Two. Veronica Hargreaves, a young business tycoon, very rich Ceo whose company deals with textiles isn't ready yet for marriage because she hasn't found the right one, which makes her situation an enigmatic one, not until she meets Jake Benson and falls madly for him, unlike her other playboys whom she eventually gets tired of eventually. She faces opposition from Lincoln Xavier who her Dad recommended to her because of his impatience for her to get married. Lincoln is also a wild ruthless man who forces himself on her. Does she overcome the odds and settle with Jake whom she loves and finally get married?

Just as the Silverwolf Pack was about to fall into ruin, Blaise Larkin approached me and asked me to be his mate. I'd had a crush on Blaise for as long as I could remember. Now that my wildest dreams were about to come true, I was happy to form a mate bond with him. As I was the sole daughter of the Eastern Pack's Alpha, I was able to provide him with a mountain of resources by becoming Blaise's mate. One month after our bonding ceremony, I was expecting a pup. I was ecstatic, but before I could share the news with Blaise, I overheard something soul-shattering. "I wonder who fathered the pup of our pregnant Luna." "She probably got involved with some filthy Rogue. There's no way Alpha Blaise will let her give birth to that mutt, right?" If it weren't for those werewolves, I wouldn't know that Blaise was pretending we never mated. When I demanded answers in a deranged manner, he threw me into the underground prison and forced me to atone for the death of his first love. "If you didn't insist on becoming my mate, Susie wouldn't have left the pack—she also wouldn't have gotten slaughtered by Rogues!" Eight months later, I lost my pup in the cell I was imprisoned in and died, soaking in my own blood. When I opened my eyes once again, I found myself back on the day Blaise asked me to be his mate.

Because I saved my husband during a car accident, I lost my eyesight. He wept, promising to treat me well for the rest of our lives to repay my sacrifice. I cooperated with the treatment wholeheartedly, hoping for a full recovery. But on the day I finally regained my sight, I stumbled upon something that shattered my world. In our marital home, his first love lay beneath him, her flushed face betraying the passion of the moment. Their bodies intertwined, and the air around them thick with stifled moans—a vivid tableau of infidelity. "She's just a blind woman. Why haven't you divorced her yet?" the woman murmured impatiently, her voice laced with disdain as she moved against him. My husband, immersed in pleasure, still mumbled an excuse. "My love, just a little longer. Soon, we'll be together openly…" I turned and left without a word, pretending I had seen nothing. As I walked away, I remembered the witch's sacrificial ritual in the misty forest—only a few days away. My husband's betrayal cut deep, carving wounds I couldn't ignore. I made up my mind to return to the forest, to embrace my identity as a witch once more, and to sever all ties with him. Yet, after I disappeared, word reached me that he was searching for me everywhere like a madman. Rumor had it he had completely lost his mind.

“Damn it, Viola! Do you even hear yourself? You’re miserable, and you’re pretending it’s normal!” Logan says, clenching his fists beside him. I drag in a shaky breath. “What do you want me to do, Logan? Just leave my marriage?” “Yes!” I freeze. He steps closer. “Leave. And let me love you the way you deserve.” *** She thought heartbreak was the worst thing he could do to her. Then he came back. Three years ago, Logan Reynolds chose ambition over love, leaving Viola McCoy behind—and breaking her heart in the process. Determined to move on, she made a choice—one that led her into the arms of Julian Cruz, a man who vowed to love her but only saw her as a means to an end. Now, trapped in a loveless marriage, Viola endures the whispers, the neglect, and the bruises she hides beneath designer sleeves. But when Logan returns as the new CEO of Reynolds Publishing—her boss—Viola’s carefully constructed world begins to crack. He sees through her forced smiles and polite lies. He soon realizes the woman he left behind is still fighting to be heard. Logan is determined to save her. Viola? She’s certain she can’t be saved. But in the middle of stolen glances, midnight confessions, and the words they can’t say out loud, one question remains: Can love be rewritten, or are some stories doomed to end the same way twice?

My back hit the cold wall of the Alpha’s packhouse, my breath hitched in my throat as the triplets closed in—Asher, Alaric, and Argent. Asher leaned in first, his mouth brushing against my ear. “Sign the contract, Alisha,” he growled. “You’re ours. Your body, soul, and every filthy little sound you make.” I swallowed hard as Alaric’s fingers traced a circle around my swollen areola in an infuriating slow-mo. “See, your body is already responding, stop pretending you don’t want to be ruined by us.” Argent stepped in last, his hand skimming under the hem of my dress. “You’re trembling, sweetheart. Not from fear… but from need. Say the word, and we’ll own every inch of you.” “And if I say no?” my voice was shaky as I bit down the moan crawling up my throat. The three of them exchanged glances and then turned to me. And like a rehearsed lyric, they all unisoned. “Then we make you beg on your knees. And we won’t stop until you forget your own name… just ours.” Asher grabbed my chin, tilting it up. “Last chance, sweetheart. Safe word or surrender.” My lips parted. “I surrender.” That was all they needed. Alaric was behind me instantly, lips on my neck, one hand wrapping around my waist, the other dragging the strap of my dress down torturously slow. “Good girl,” he murmured, his teeth grazing my skin. “You’re ours now.” •••••••• This is not just a love story. It’s survival. And it starts with rejection…