Sadness Tone

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."

At the annual gala, my father had me marry Asher Ziegler, a rising star in the finance industry whom he had groomed. Back then, I, Maddison Gruber, had no idea that Asher was in love with someone else. Sometime later, my father's company is investigated for product fraud, and his company's stock plummets. He even faces criminal charges. When this happens, Asher immediately brings his first love, Cora Singer, home and tells me outright that he is going to make her his legally wedded wife. My mother-in-law admonishes me. "Your family's bankrupt now, and you're completely barren! Why shouldn't my son remarry?" Asher slides a divorce agreement in front of me, his tone condescending. "Sign this, and I can let you stay here and live alongside Cora." But I say nothing. I merely quietly book a ticket to leave this place. In seven days, I will be following my father down south.

His magnificently beautiful eyes looked into mine with possessiveness. I exhaled out a shuddered breath, and he grabbed my jaw. “This is not who you are to me, Isabella. And I want more than what we have. Understood?” The dominance in his tone was obvious, while his words sounded like a fantasy I’ve always dreamt of. More than what we have. More than step-brother. ______________________________ I, a 19-year-old girl, had always had a secret crush on someone I shouldn’t have. That’s right—it was none other than Achilles Roman, my stepbrother, who was two years older than me. I had kept my feelings dumped in a Tupperware box for as long as I could remember. But how could I control myself when he himself started making moves on me? And what should I do when I realize that he was nowhere near the Achilles I thought I knew? Read to find out.

At our Thanksgiving family dinner, my stepbrother brought his beautiful girlfriend to meet the family for the first time. She held up her wine glass and flashed me a malicious smirk. “I heard you had a first love you can’t forget, Summer.” I kept my head low and focused on my food, unsure how to respond. After all, my first love… was her boyfriend. When I was seventeen, my stepbrother Ethan Cole tricked me into crossing the line we should never have crossed, while our parents were blissfully unaware. Even right now, under the table, his foot was rubbing mine sensually. He did not bother holding back. On the table, he held his girlfriend’s hand tenderly as he mocked me with a smirk, “You’re twenty-seven, sis. Your shelf life is running out, and you’re such a plain Jane. Who would ever want you?” I stood up abruptly and looked at him, my tone calm and resolute. “I’m married, Ethan.”

You are mine, little lamb! No matter where you go, I'll find you.” Jared said in a soft voice, yet Lael couldn’t shake off the deadly underlying tone beneath it. She knew he was trouble. She knew he was danger. Wherever he goes, Death and Hades follow after. Alpha Jared was a ruthless Alpha and now she is at his mercy either she accepts his proposal or she loses her brother. ~~~ When Alpha Jared captured Lael from her pack, he binds her to him with a powerful blood tie. He was supposed to make her fall in love with him to break the curse, but Lael vows to escape and exact revenge on the dominant wolf who had stolen her freedom. Lael, determined to ruin him, was shocked to discover that her hatred had turned into a forbidden attraction towards the beast. Now she is torn between her thirst for revenge or give in to her attraction. Where blood, loyalty, secret and power are interconnected, let dive into the story to see what choice Lael would pick.

In my tenth year of marriage, my old childhood friend, Joshua Sears, posts a photo on social media. Both Joshua and my wife, Sabrina Lawson, are hugging his son, Andy Sears, and my daughter, Tiana Jenkins, in it. The four of them look very close to each other. The caption accompanying the post says, "Blessed to have the perfect son and daughter." I leave a comment below the post, saying, "Looking good together." A few seconds later, the post is deleted. The next morning, Sabrina rushes home and yells at me. "Ashton Jenkins! Joshua was finally feeling better for once. Why did you have to trigger him again?" Tiana shoves me hard and snaps in an accusatory tone, "It's all your fault that Andy's crying now!" I take out a copy of the divorce agreement and slam it down before them. "Yes, it's all my fault. That's why I'm stepping out of the picture now. Then, the four of you can form the wholesome family you've always wanted."

After being heartbroken at the start of her last year in high school because of her long-time relationship, Sarina couldn’t just stay put and cry inside her home. Her birthday was coming, she was coming of age. She is not going to allow some lousy, cheating bastard will destroy it. That night, she was invited to a party where all of the pack were present. It was too overwhelming and she could feel it was time. Running to the woods, she felt her whole body was changing. Screaming and agonizing in pain, she felt someone’s hand on her waist as he licked her neck aggressively, her body was immediately set on fire. “Mate.” She heard him deeply say. His tone was utterly familiar, and to her surprise, it was one of the Alpha in their pack, Ethaniel Lynx Stephenson. Sarina took in a deep breath, trying to endure the pain coursing through her body like a thunderbolt with a heavy thought in mind. If her mate is the Alpha, then…she would have two mates because they are twins. And they’re her childhood friends!

The last thin strand of will escaped my lips in a form of question. “Why me? I am no one in your world…” He bit my earlobe and I couldn’t hide the moan that didn’t want to stay hidden anymore. “Oh, you are wrong. You are someone,” he said in such a cold tone it made me shiver. He then flipped me in one swift move, making me face him, my head tilted up to meet his eyes. “I just haven’t decided what you are to me yet.” And he crushed my lips, and I gave in to his hunger. - Stalked, betrayed, and silenced by those she once trusted, she’s swept into the deadly orbit of Rowan Hill, a ruthless mafia king who now has his eyes on her. Harper should run. Instead, she finds herself drawn into his world of secrets, violence, and undeniable attraction. But in Rowan’s empire, protection comes at a price, and obsession is deadly. - The Mafia King’s Obsession is the original work of Barbara A. Insfran B. an eGlobal Publishing signed author.

I was in a temporary shock from an allergic reaction. The two guys I had grown up with didn't even look my way. One of them was busy helping Vivian Byrd carry a pile of gifts, while the other was snapping pictures of her at some popular social media spot. It was a stranger passing by who called an ambulance and got me to the hospital, saving my life. The next day, Vivian called, her tone almost smug. "Trish, Zeke and Hendrick were so exhausted after shopping with me yesterday. I heard you threw a tantrum and ended up in the hospital. Should I come visit you?" I simply replied, "No need." Zeke Benson and Hendrick Peay were my childhood friends. They once treated me like I was everything to them—promising to pluck the moon and stars from the sky and to protect me forever. But ever since Vivian came into the picture, their world no longer revolved around me. I thought for a moment and then dialed my mother's number. "Mom, I'll accept the marriage arrangement."

I can't believe that my online boyfriend is actually my boss, Yoel Gilmore, who refutes me at all times during my work hours! So, I purposefully complain on the chat app, saying that my "boss" wants me to burn the midnight oil just to get a proposal done immediately. Almost immediately, I see my company's group chat updating with a new message that says, "A one-day extension has been given." Afterward, I claim that I "want to quit my job because the food at the cafeteria sucks". On the very same day, the company makes a decision to increase the cafeteria meals' portions without hiking up the price. I'm also given an increase in bonus. In the end, I say I want to break up with him because I can't hug him in real life. But I end up getting taken to the CEO's office, where I hear him telling me in a choked-up tone, "I'll let you hug and kiss me. Can we please not break up?"