Sadness Tone

Jenny posted a picture of me and her brother, who had an intellectual disability. The caption? "Finally, a happy ending!" The comments were all the same: "Is this your sister-in-law? She’s gorgeous!" I simply replied with a question mark, but Jenny ignored me and responded to someone else instead. "She's kinda my sister-in-law, yes!" It didn't take long for Steven to call me, his tone full of anger. "It was just a little edit, do you really have to blow things out of proportion?" Half an hour later, Jenny posted another photo of her sitting in Steven's luxury car, and even tagged me in it. "We may not be related by blood, but this big brother of mine has always been my rock!" Steven commented. "I'll always be here." I knew he was trying to get a rise on me on purpose to appease Jenny, but I didn't grace them with a reply this time. All I did was like the post and file for divorce.

By chance, I stumbled across a trending post from our company's finance department while scrolling through social media. "That idiot in Sales. I just wanted to put my bar receipt under his name for reimbursement and he refused! If he won't let me claim it, then no one gets reimbursed! This time I'll make sure he learns what happens when you offend Finance!" The comments section was full of complaints and criticism, but the original poster didn't seem bothered in the slightest. The tone was arrogant, almost smug. "What's there to be scared of? Finance is the lifeline of any company! Would the boss really risk offending the backbone of the company over some replaceable sales guy? No way that's ever happening!" I stared at the all-too-familiar face in the profile picture and let out a silent, cold laugh. Blocking my reimbursement? Fine. This time, I'd like to see for myself what would actually happen if I mess with Finance.

On the day Zachary Lake stands at the pinnacle of global technology, accepting his award, I'm lying in a hospital bed, abandoned by doctors because I can't afford treatment for kidney failure. On TV, the host asks him to call the person he's most grateful for. Without hesitation, he dials my number. "Shannon, do you regret leaving me?" he asks. I clutch the astronomical medical bill in my hand, the paper crumpling beneath my fingers. Forcing a light tone, I reply, "Can you take me on as your kept woman now that you're a big deal?" On screen, his face remains expressionless as he hangs up without a word. Then, his cold voice pierces through the broadcast. "Now, I have nothing to feel grateful for." But what he doesn't know is that when he was on the brink of death years ago, I was the one who gave him my kidney.

My stepdaughter, Alana Greenwood, brought me some abortion medicine on her Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Everyone around knew of her little "prank", but none came to stop her. Even my husband just stood and watched. I smiled bitterly as I took the medicine and drank it in one go. I immediately felt the pain in my lower abdomen. My head began to spin, but I could still hear the harsh tone in Alana’s voice. "Well, did you think you could replace my mother after giving birth to your child? Let me tell you this, Dad agreed to marry you back then because I was young and was in need of a free nanny! If you dare think about replacing my mother, you will be kicked out of the Greenwood family!" I covered my stomach and took a deep breath. "There's no need for the trouble. You're an adult now and I've completed my task. I'll leave... tomorrow."

It was New Year's Eve. We were streaming live when my brother called. I spoke first, "I wish you peace and a happy, long life." He gave a cold laugh. "Yeah, well, I don't want you to have any of that. I hope you spend the rest of your life in misery." I'd cut him off the year he was flat broke. Now that he was successful, this was the first thing he did—get back at me. I kept my tone calm. "I wish you peace and a happy, long life." He sounded annoyed. "Cut it out. There's no way I'm wishing you well. If I have to say something, then I hope you stay miserable forever." The host hesitated, then chimed in, "Ben, that was just a recording of Hailey's message. And yes, when she left… she was in a lot of pain and quite miserable, just like you hoped for."

“What are you doing?” Chad hissed, his tone low and sharp “Playing the part,” Jasmine whispered back, patting his chest as if calming a restless dog. “Relax, Mr. Blackstone. You hired me for this, remember?” Jasmine turned her attention to Ava, her smile turning just a shade sharper. “Hi, I’m Jasmine. Chad’s fiancée.” *** Chad Blackstone is a self-made billionaire with a cold demeanor, his heart frozen after a devastating betrayal by the one woman he trusted—Ava Reeds. When Ava unexpectedly reappears, determined to rekindle their relationship, Chad devises a bold plan to show her he’s moved on and that's where she comes in—Jasmine Withers. A fiery, no-nonsense woman who’s nothing like the superficial socialites Chad is used to. What begins as a calculated business arrangement quickly spirals into a whirlwind of scandal, rivalry, and unexpected passion. In a game of love, revenge, and redemption, who will come out on top—and who will end up heartbroken?

Pain, Sadness, loneliness. That's exactly what defined Avyanna Roosevelt's life. Every time she would change her pack, people would bully her for her unethical birth origins. She was weak, well at least for the world, who didn't know what she was. Her mother hated her, because, for her, she was a bastard child, the result of a drunk one night stand. Life was cruel to her, but she was a survivor, and the only thing she wanted was to complete her education and live among humans. However, all her plans came crashing when her grandmother died and she was asked to move into her mother's new husband's home, in the Enceladus pack, the strongest pack in the world. She had thought she would meet the coldest and cruellest alpha, worsening her life even more, but what she didn't expect was to meet an extremely caring and overprotective man, her stepbrother. She thought she would leave in peace after completing her education, until one day her brother came to her and spoke. "In this world, you are mine to protect, mine to care for, and only mine to love. I won't think twice to rip out the heart that will try to beat for you," he growled before biting her neck.

*Mature Audience* Dallas Parker suffers years of abuse from her boyfriend, Jax, in Los Angeles, California. After being brutally beaten again, Dallas Parker escapes with her young son Lyle. She finds comfort in going back to her hometown, Anaconda, Montana. She was born and raised in this small town by her Aunt Helen. At eighteen years old, Dallas Parker ran off to California to escape the horrible things that happened in Montana. Now that she is back, she will have to face her troubled past head-on. Everyone is stunned by Dallas’s return, especially her ex-best friend River Storm. River and Dallas are forced to deal with their past. Even though it is sweet to be home, there will be consequences. What would you do if it felt like the world was out to destroy you? The romance will leave you breathless. The drama will leave you in shock. The suspense will keep you up all night reading. Take a ride on the country-side with these two rebels. A quote from this story: "I told you this town wouldn't let me forget what I did," River muttered. "I'll never live down what I did. Even if everyone else forgot about what I did, I never will. I’ll take it to the grave, and I know that." River’s eyes filled with shame, sadness, and regret.

Liam had only one perfect moment—the day he was to wed Marcus, the love of his life. Yet, in such an irony, the wedding was disrupted by a jealous admirer, and within one terrible mistake, Marcus was killed by a bullet. Profound sadness ruled over Liam until a mysterious supernatural creature showed up, offering him a second chance. The catch? The price would be made known in the future. Hopeless and shattered, Liam agreed. But something went wrong. Rather than waking up in his past, Liam got into a different version of his world—New York, 2020. A world where Marcus was still very much alive but hadn't had the chance to meet him yet. And a world where another version of himself already existed—Daniel, a ruthless Mafia lord feared by everyone. While Liam pursues his mission to reunite with Marcus, he uncovers a shocking revelation: the same tragedy is destined to happen again. But this time, it's not only Marcus that is in jeopardy. Daniel—the cold, relentless Mafia boss—has his own plans, and they all seem to revolve around him. At this moment, with love, danger, and a man who is him but isn’t, Liam must find a way to outplay fate. Because if he fails, he won’t just lose Marcus again—he might lose himself.

My son, Jasper Cole, won the gold prize in an art competition. When I took off my apron and rushed to the award ceremony, I found that the painting titled 'Mother' was not of me but Maeve Leighton, my husband's secretary. Maeve pretended to be troubled as she told my son, "Your mom will be sad when she sees this painting." However, Jasper was unperturbed. "What does her sadness have to do with me? She's an ordinary-looking and incompetent housewife, always nagging me about what I can and can’t do. She's too strict with me. It's annoying! Maeve, I wish you were my mother. My dad doesn't like my mom at all. He's only happy when he's with you. He's only with my mom because he feels obligated." My heart broke at that moment. Since he no longer wanted me as his mother, it was pointless for me to stay. I called my dad. "Dad, I want to go home. Can you pick me up?" My dad could not believe it. He answered after a long pause, "Of course. I'll come pick up my brilliant daughter in three days."