Reader-response Criticism

In the fifth year of my spiritual practice, my phone suddenly exploded with messages. [Aria, why aren't you replying? Are you really that petty?] Puzzled, I opened Messenger, and froze. My cousin, who never seemed to measure up to me and always went out of her way to oppose me, was getting married, and she expected me to attend. "Sorry, I've been busy lately. I won't be able to make it," I replied politely. However, my courteous response only fueled their ridicule. "Stop pretending! You haven't kept in touch with your family for years. Are you too embarrassed because your life is such a mess?" "She won't even come to her own cousin's wedding? How heartless!" "Let me guess, the real reason she can't come is she can't afford a wedding gift." One cutting remark after another appeared, until Betty Stewart stepped in, feigning concern. "Come on, don't be so harsh on Aria. We're family, after all." "If she's really struggling, I could ask my husband to help her get a cleaning job." Then she sent me the digital invitation, the gold lettering gleaming. When I saw the groom's name, my pupils constricted in shock. Joseph Clark? Wasn't he the short-lived husband who had spent three years sucking up to me just to extend his life?

In the final year of my bond with vampire lord Saul, the curse of our pact struck, and I was overwhelmed by agony, but my lord was nowhere to be found. He had gone out. He left me to suffer. Alone. When the door finally creaked open the next morning, I looked up through bloodshot eyes—hope flickering like a dying candle. But he wasn't alone. He carried an unconscious woman in his arms, her head resting against his chest like she belonged there. Ignoring me as I curled up on the floor in pain, he first carried the woman to his room and called the old butler anxiously. "Jacinda's passed out. Hurry! Check if she's all right!" The old butler cautiously pleaded on my behalf, hoping our lord could save me first, but Saul frowned and interrupted: "Jacinda is in danger, and I have no mind to drink her blood now. She just needs to pull through herself. Believe me, she won't die. Right now, the priority is to save Jacinda." A frown and a glance in my direction was his only response to the old butler's desperate plea. With my only hope shattered, I clenched my teeth and slashed several long wounds on my arms and hands to drain blood for self-rescue. After a long period of weak convulsions, the curse of the pact finally ended. I lay in a pool of blood, sending a message with my last faint consciousness. "I promise I will leave him."

"But all these scars, they will always remind you of the beast that I am." He said in a hushed tones, caressing the scars on her face. "Not when they can be turned into beautiful scars." Her response echoed with confusion and incredulity to him. How could all the pain he had inflicted on her turn into something good? A broken and desperate, depressed Billionaire, and the poorest of all naive girl who just lost everything in a blink of an eye, and her mother just traded her like a piece of trash. They are to be bound together by a contract as husband and wife for just five months. Everything seems to be under control, until one night of total madness that complicates everything. She had done and sacrificed so much for him, asking nothing in return or ever complaining. In return, he asked for one night to treat her like the loving wife she is supposed to be. One night they surrendered and lost their souls to each other, marking the beginning of their unquenchable thirsts for each other. In the short run, a bond is formed. What happens if the two of them break the major rule of the contract? Who will bear the blame? What's the punishment for such an offense? When feelings arise, can they embrace them? But what happens when his real love returns? His crush. His first love. The one he once went insane for. She doesn't return empty-handed. She is seven months pregnant with the son he thought she lost. What will he do? Wait... His passionate nights with his contract wife bore fruits too. She is expecting his child. Will he marry both of them, or who will he choose?

<> - Vanessa thought rock bottom was signing divorce papers with Derek Holland, a man with the emotional depth of a teaspoon. Turns out, rock bottom had a basement, and Ryker Holland was waiting for her down there with a smirk and a plan. Ryker, Derek's older half-brother (aka the family's dirty little secret), shows up offering Vanessa a deal: help her make her ex-husband, Derek Holland, jealous enough to come crawling back. In exchange, he secures his position as CEO. But Ryker isn't doing this out of kindness for he is petty and cruel. He would do anything to trample all over Derek, and now he has the perfect weapon. Vanessa, freshly dumped and just desperate enough to play along. And if she happens to enjoy making her ex suffer too? Well, that's just a bonus. As Vanessa sinks deeper into Ryker's twisted world of fake romance, secrecy and family dysfunction, things start getting real. Because fake love? It's a lot easier to control than real feelings. And Ryker has no idea what to do when the game stops being a game. Is Vanessa walking into a trap or building one of her own? Either way, the Holland brothers are going down. One's going to break, and the other's going to enjoy every second of it. _Disclaimer: This story features morally complex, flawed characters with twisted motives. It includes themes of manipulation, deception, and emotional cruelty. Reader discretion is advised.

"I despise you as much as I love you," Raphael confessed to Winter, his voice laced with bitterness and tenderness all at once. "This connection between us is both a blessing and a curse. It torments us both. Don't you think?" Winter asked him. "That's what I regret. I could not kill you that night because you are my mate," Raphael affirmed. He approached her in a blink of an eye and gripped her throat. "Winter, why are you the daughter of my enemy?" Raphael growled, his head ducked to bury in her neck. He kissed her followed by a lick, which made Winter's knees go weak. "Shall we mate?" Raphael murmured, his breath caressing her ear, igniting a sensual response within Winter. The conflict between their hatred and desire blurred as the allure of their fate became undeniable. ~~~~~~~ Winter, the Princess of the Uriel Kingdom, had endured a lifetime of torment and lacked the love she deserved. However, her life took an unexpected turn when she discovered Raphael Kingston as her mate on her 18th birthday. She hoped that this newfound connection would bring an end to her suffering, but fate had other plans. Raphael, the lone survivor of his pack, had always sought vengeance against the King and his daughter. However, his purpose faltered when he realized Winter was his destined mate. The battle between his hatred and love for her led him to imprison Winter, torn between the desire to protect her and the weight of his animosity. Thus, began a tale of Hate to Love!

To save the vampire clan, I slept with my crush, Stefan Ferrano. Stefan had always been cold and distant, but that night, his response was fiery. He ignored the fact that I was inexperienced and took me with wild, unrestrained passion. Everything unraveled when my blood servant, Stella Luciado, brought me fresh blood and Stefan found out. Like a man possessed, he tore off all my clothes and dragged me into the sunlight. “So even the vampire queen is afraid of sunlight? Do you know what sort of torture your kind are enduring right now? But no pain compares to what I felt losing my sister because of you and your kind.” For five years, he held my clan’s safety over my head. He locked me in a sunroom and found new ways every day to torment me in bed. The day I gave birth to his child, he married Stella. Stefan called my child a bastard and forced me to watch him and Stella sleep together. When Stella was unhappy, he bled me so she could bathe in my blood. He even painted with my blood and made me dance undressed in the sun. He tortured me but never let me die, using specially made drugs to keep me alive. A vampire who had offered their ancestral blood but didn't turn a human into a vampire within five years would end up dead. I had five days left to live. Finally, I didn't have to keep my secret anymore.

[ ORIGINAL WORK BY LunaToMySol. DO NOT REPRODUCE IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM ] FOR MATURE AUDIENCES. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED This falls under dark romance and a lot of the scenes are for readers 18+. Hope you enjoy! • Grieving is such a hellish feeling but experiencing it for something you can't remember is just simply devastating and exhausting. Pamilyar na kay Ayra ang mga pakiramdam na iyon. Araw-araw, iminumulat niya ang kanyang mga mata na hindi mawari kung gusto niya 'bang maka-alala o kalimutan na lamang ang alaala na iyon nang tuluyan. Takbuhan na lamang palayo ang lahat. Vinxer Jose Dela Fuentes. Rich. Smart. Drop-dead gorgeous. He was living a comfortable life in a province where his family rules the whole of it. The Dela Fuentes clan was unstoppable until one night, everything changed for all of them but most importantly for Vinxer. Ngayon, hinaharap niya ang araw-araw na puno ng hiya Years later, Vinxer and Ayra met. Two heavy yet young hearts collided Will they finally find the peace they have been longing for? Or will they keep running away from all the demons that haunt them? SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: (The songs in this captures the overall vibe of this story. Not all songs are featured in the chapters but are still surely Vinxer and Ayra approved! haha <3) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3XCwXaLXcq6pWgOpW6DTNH?si=OI6vaHS4QBm7IWhSw9lVpA

"You're mine, cara mia. All of you…" Stephan whispered huskily into my ear. I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne, mixed with the heady aroma of sweat and desire. His large, strong hands were wrapped around my body, one of them trailing slowly down my thigh. I felt completely consumed by him, unable to escape the heat of his touch. My heart was pounding… “But I have a fiance." Although I was loving every moment of this, I couldn't bring myself to accept what he laid before me. “And he loves me so much, Stephan. I can't do this to him. I—” His next response left me in bewilderment. “Shssh—” He hushed me, placing a finger across my lips. "I'll pay him off…" •••••••• Even though I knew it was wrong, I felt my heart racing at the thought of him. I was engaged to someone else, a kind and caring college student who had always been there for me. But this man, this powerful and mysterious billionaire, had awoken something in me that I couldn't ignore. I knew that I was playing with fire, and that it could all go up in wild flames. But I was willing to take the risk, because I knew that this was something I had to explore. Every inch of it. I had to find out what lay at the end of this dangerous path

"Okay, if that's what you want. But–" He paused words. Excellent response, unexpected. Liana thought Revan would change his mind to not to force her to do things that she didn't want to. "But what?" "I will not let you go until I get what I want." Revan got closer to Liana, and before she tried to escape — he had locked Liana's movements. He started to tilt his face until Liana felt the breath getting closer. Liana's hand gripped tightly made her unable to rebel, she refused and she shook her head. Her heart was beating fast and a feeling of disgust surrounded her. Without waiting further, Revan put his lips on Liana's and crushed her lips greedily. He looked hopeless and disappointed because Liana did not kiss him back, even didn't open her mouth. With her martial art skill, Liana herself out of Revan's hand. She pushed hard Alex's body. Finally it succesfully made Revan stay away and weak. Revan clenched his fists, angry and more angry. While Liana didn't care anymore, this included as sexual abuse. “REVAN! YOU JERK! WE BREAK UP NOW!" shouted Liana emotionally. “OKAY, IF REALLY WANT TO KNOW MY REASON ... BECAUSE I HAVE SEX PHOBIA!" After saying that, Liana went and opened the door to Revan apartment room and closed the door violently. Leaving Revan who was silent after hearing Liana's words.

Misah, gadis 16 tahun harus menikah dengan Raden Wikrama Manggalayuda. Pernikahan itu terjadi akibat siasat licik Nyai Sri Gandawangi yang tidak lain adalah istri pertama Raden Wikrama. Ramalan Ki Jaya Wijaya yang menyebutkan bahwa putra Raden Wikrama dan Misah kelak akan mewarisi tahta kerajaan Singapatih membuat Nyai Sri yang memiliki ambisi besar akan tahta harus mengorbankan Misah untuk mencapainya. Misah gadis desa yang masih muda dan lugu akhirnya terjebak dalam siasat itu. Gadis itu menjalani kehidupan seperti di neraka sejak mendapat hukuman diasingkan ke hutan. Disaat hidupnya berada di titik terendah, ia bertemu dengan Sanjaya. Pemuda tampan itu tanpa sengaja membawa Misah bertemu dengan paman-pamannya yang merupakan bandit. Seketika hidup Misah berubah, keterpurukan membuatnya sadar bahwa harus ada yang bertanggungjawab atas semua yang telah dialaminya. Sejak saat itu Misah memutuskan menjadi bandit dan memulai rencana balas dendamnya. Sepak terjang Misah membuatnya terkenal dan mendapat julukan Nyai Selendang Wungu. Mohon untuk para Reader, ini beneran cerita untuk 18+ yaa, karena mungkin nanti akan banyak adegan XX nya. Jadi harus bijak memilih bacaan! hehehe, happy reading.