Quietly

Back in the day, in the legal world, Finn Cross and I were the top dogs. Untouchable. He ran New York, a king in criminal defense, never lost a case. I held down Boston, crushing it in civil court. People in the biz used to say it was a good thing we weren't in the same city. If we were, we’d have gone head-to-head, and it was anyone's guess who'd come out on top. But they never would've guessed. Three years ago, I, Victoria Sterling, quietly married Finn Cross. And just like that, the legend of "Vicky" was locked away. I was willing to leave my career behind, to be the quiet, supportive woman behind the great man. I made his coffee, went with him to all sorts of events, and left a light on for him when he came home late. But when Elena, the one he’d always carried a torch for, showed up again, I couldn't keep up this charade anymore.

When I was nine, I was hit by the blast of an explosion while saving Simone Scott. From that day onward, I have to rely on hearing aids to get by. Overwhelmed with guilt, she suggests we get engaged and swears to me with teary eyes, "Justin, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life." But at 18 years old, to satisfy a dare from the school heartthrob, she rips off my hearing aid and humiliates me in front of him and our classmates. Disgust fills her voice as she says, "You're nothing but a burden. I've been sick of you for a long time. I wish you'd died back then instead of being saved." I clutch the hearing recovery report in my hand and say nothing. After that, I quietly change my college applications, bring my parents with me, and formally call off the engagement. Simone, this is where our paths split. There is no reason for us to ever see each other again.

"Did you think you could run away from me? is that it, Cat?" Ace asked, his hand tightening around her neck at every seconds. Catherine gasped her hand resting on Ace's as she fought to tear his hand off her. "I asked you a question, kitten. Did you think you could run away from me?" he questioned yet again, this time his voice was so gently that it sent shivers down her spine. Ace doesn't need to shout to show off his dominant bully side, he was like a predator, setting his trap quietly and killing cruelly. "I....I...I never tried to run, Ace. I won't try it ever." She gasped out, Ace smirked and brought her face closer to his. "That's right, Catherine. You are for me, mine to use however I please!" he said and slammed his lips on hers. *A dark highschool novel*

When my appendix bursts, my parents, my brother, and even my fiancé are all too busy celebrating my sister's birthday. I'm outside the operating room, frantically calling every family member I can think of to sign the consent form, but every call is either ignored or hung up on. After hanging up on me, my fiancé, Joel Graham, texts back. "Sophie, stop being dramatic. It's Yvette's 18th birthday today. Whatever it is can wait until after the party." I quietly set my phone down and sign the consent form myself. It's the ninety-ninth time they've chosen Yvette Norton, my sister, over me. This time, I choose not to care. I'll stop letting their favoritism hurt me. Instead, I'll do everything they ask of me without complaint. They'll all think I've finally learned to be obedient, and they'll never realize that I'm preparing to leave them for good.

Steel & Saddle In a city ruled by shadows, love becomes the most dangerous rebellion. Gabrielle Wren never asked for refinement. Raised on horseback and heartbreak, she’s more comfortable in a saddle than a silk gown. But when her father dies, she’s forced to trade the wild countryside for the polished prison of city life under her aunt’s watchful eye. Dante Virelli is 28, heir to a criminal empire built on silence and blood. Feared by many, trusted by none, he’s a man who walks the line between power and ruin. But beneath the tailored suits and cold stares lies a soul quietly unraveling. When Gabrielle defends a stable boy from Dante’s men, she catches his attention—and his curiosity. She’s everything he shouldn’t want. He’s everything she’s been warned about. But as danger closes in and secrets unravel, their unlikely bond becomes the one thing that could save them both… or destroy everything.

A gas explosion kills both me and my wife, Riley Sawyer. When I open my eyes again, we have both returned to our lives before we ever got married. In our previous life, Riley and I grew up together. We were inseparable as kids, and after we married, our relationship only deepened. People envied how well we got along. But in this life, she doesn't choose me. She accepts the romantic pursuit of Benjamin Prescott, the son of the wealthiest man in the city. I quietly erase every trace of her from my life and act as if she never existed. Five years later, the two of them announce their engagement in the grandest way possible and invite all our former classmates. When I show up wearing the same custom suit Benjamin has on, a diamond ring in hand, Riley's face tightens with anger. "Jared, it's been years. Why can't you let me go?"

My wolf has a rare gift—she can detect lies and reveal the truth about what anyone tries to deceive. My Alpha—Theron Shadewound—loves me dearly. For as long as I've known him, he's never once lied to me. However, a month before our mating ceremony, my wolf catches a whisper of truth from his heart. He had thought, "I'm holding the mating ceremony with Mirelle next week, and Arynn must never find out." I freeze when I realize something. He'll be using the ballroom I spent two months meticulously setting up to host a mating ceremony next week with his childhood sweetheart, Mirelle Hollowmaw. As it turns out, my mating ceremony, scheduled a month later, is nothing but a joke. Quietly, I pack my belongings and book a ticket to leave the Nightcrest pack. On the day Theron and Mirelle pledge themselves to each other, I walk away without looking back.

In order to save her dying brother, Kirsten Lewis entered a transactional marriage with Matthew Roosevelt. Considering the cold personality of the man she was having a transaction with, Kirsten was confident that she would successfully guard herself against falling in love with him but she failed miserably when the so - called ruthless billionaire was nothing but a pampering husband. Little did she know that the pampering was part of the plan of Matthew. The day Matthew realized that his wife quietly and effortlessly made his way into his heart, he abandoned his plan and ended his decade long relationship with Vanessa Gray. Matthew had never been so afraid in life, just the mere thought of Kirsten leaving him made his heart tremble. He did all he could to keep Kirsten from knowing the truth. But destiny had its own plan, testing the depths of their love, Kirsten discovered the painful truth. Will she be able to look past this deception and stay by Matthew’s side or choose to end their marriage and go their own separate ways?

After Jacob Locke brings up breaking up with me once again, I don't wait for him to say anything else. I pack up my things and move out on my own, then quietly cut ties with our past. On the first day, I cancel the wedding planner I booked three years ago but kept delaying. On the second day, I turn off the automatic payments for his mother's treatment. I also politely refuse his sister when she reaches out for money. On the third day, I accept my superior's transfer proposal and get ready to settle down in a southern city. The moment I board the plane, I suddenly get curious. Without me, the free housekeeper who hasn't taken a break in the past decade and the always-on ATM, how will Jacob fare? How will he care for his paralyzed mother, deal with his vain sister, and face his precious junior who's the apple of his eye?

“I've found the love you were not able to give me with someone else. She makes me happy Flora. She tells me how much she adores me. How could I not fall for her?” ------------ On their third marriage anniversary, Flora's husband announces he's leaving her for another woman. At first, she's willing to let him off and end things quietly, but when she discovers his mysterious mistress is her stepsister who has bullied her since childhood, she decides to hurt them both the way they have hurt her. To do this, she decides she's going to team up with her ex's rival, Damien Hayes, to destroy him. But Damien doesn't only want to help Flora - he also wants her love, and he won't take no for an answer. In order to get what she wants, Flora is going to have to risk her heart falling in love again.