Sfgate E Edition Novels & Stories

The day Bryan Abbott received the World Philanthropist Award, the doctors told me I would not live for long because I could not afford to replace my artificial heart. The TV host asked Bryan to call the person he regretted being with the most. Without hesitation, he dialed my number. I answered the call. Bryan asked, “Do you regret leaving me for money back then?” Staring at the astronomical bill for the artificial heart, I chuckled softly, “Bryan, you’re so rich now. Could you lend me $200,000?” The call cut off abruptly. I watched as Bryan icily said on TV, “Now, I have no regrets.” He did not know that back when his heart had failed, I had donated mine to him secretly so that he could live.

It was the day Jessica Goldenfold got the International Wealth Club Charity Award. My doctor pronounced me dead, for I could not afford the artificial heart needed for my survival. The show's host asked Jessica to call the one whom she had the most regret about. She called my number. I picked it up. She asked, "Do you ever regret leaving me for money?" I stared at the obscene bill for the artificial heart. Then, I chuckled. "You're a rich girl, Jessica. How about a loan of 30 grand?" She killed the call. I watched her telling everyone in front of the cameras, "No more regrets." She had no idea at all. She had no idea that I was the one who gave my heart to her when she had heart failure. I did it behind her back.

I have a deal with Aldric Cromwell, the so-called King of Equinox Street, a billionaire lawyer-turned-CEO. If I confess to him 142 times while wearing a wedding dress, he will cover his limited-edition Koenigsegg in flowers, drive me to the most magical castle, and give me the grandest wedding imaginable on my 143rd try. However, Aldric is nowhere to be seen that day. Instead, he makes headlines by renting out the entire Wondergrove Theme Park just to celebrate his sweet new girlfriend, Bianca Alvarez's birthday. Bathed in the glow of brilliant fireworks, they share a tender kiss, cameras flashing like stars all around them. That moment quickly becomes the top trending story on the internet. Meanwhile, I go viral in my own way for showing up in a wedding dress for the 143rd time outside his company building. Speculations and theories swirl about the mystery man I keep confessing to but never reveal. People also wonder how long it will be before I make the 144th declaration. When Aldric realizes I have faithfully kept our agreement, he promises me, out of pure guilt, that he will finally fulfill the vow he's made to me after the final confession. Dressed to the nines, he arrives at his company, driving that flower-covered, limited edition Koenigsegg, only to receive a final text from me. "There won't be a 144th confession, Aldric. We're over."

I had a best friend who was sweet as honey but only with her mouth. Behind my back, she was a demon. She stole my boyfriend, the underboss of the Chicago Outfit. Her excuse? She wanted to keep me away from the darkness and the blood, so she'd take the suffering in my place. She pawned her wedding ring and fed her husband some story about a limited edition bag for me. She skimmed from her husband's company accounts and pinned it on my male escort habit. She was pregnant and still wanted thrills. So she went to a full-blown orgy with her husband's uncle and a group of his associates. That's how she ended up hemorrhaging. But somehow it was my fault. I was the one who organized that kind of party, according to her. And her story? She tried to stop me, so I pushed her down and made her lose the baby. In the end, her husband sent me to a cartel hellhole in Mexico to atone for my sins. There, her lover sold me to the red-light district. First came the addiction. Then the streets. I served every man in their outfit, one after another. My body rotted. I died slow, sick, and alone. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the night my best friend miscarried because of her own filthy party.

Emily Davis suffered a horrible childhood and now that she's gotten older, she dealt with the Hell's King himself. However, she didn't fulfill the King's part of the deal. She didn't give what the King wished to have. In punishment, he wedded her in hell and she became the Queen. Their mission is to find the King's destined wife who was written in the scrolls. Meanwhile, the both of them have problems to solve on their own as they embark their journey to find love and peace in their lives.

Farrah Evans is the definition of the modern-day liberated lady. Get drunk, get laid, and get your freedom. That was what she wants for the rest of her life. Not a percentage, not even in her dreams she imagined of being married and committed to only one man. The plan is to be a forever rich single Auntie who lives alone in a mansion, wears a pair of Gucci gloves on a wedding, and brag about traveling around the world while holding a limited edition LV bag on her Amigas.However, Uno Saldivar is the most persistent and longest suitor she encountered in her life. The man started to pursue her back in senior high days. Uno is a certified nerdy boy who got no fun, he's a studious, hardworking geek who aims to be one of the most successful men on their generation. And the one who will marry Farrah, the girl of his daydreams. Farrah doesn't know that she's falling for him. She is a known playgirl who hooks up with rich handsome boys and being with Uno will taint her image. She planned to escape the humiliation she'll experience so she never admitted to herself that she likes the man and covered it with anger. Annoyed and exhausted of him chasing her, she made a deal. "When I reached the age of twenty-seven and I'm still not married nor have a boyfriend, I'll marry you. If anyone of us refuses to get married, the one who rejects will pay the other million dollars." After years of being apart from Uno, a tragedy happened which turned her life upside down.

THE UNSEEN HUSBAND Complete Story Synopsis Genre Historical Romance / Family Drama / Political Intrigue Set in a fantasy Mediterranean-inspired kingdom (early 1900s technology level) PREMISE Alessia Castellani Russo (23) receives divorce papers from her husband Sebastian Russo (27) after five years of marriage. They spent only one night together—a traditional ceremony in darkness where neither saw the other clearly—before he left at dawn for military duty and never returned. The divorce papers reveal Sebastian believes there are no children and that Alessia has been unfaithful with a merchant. But Alessia has triplets (Dante, Marco, and Lucia, age 4) from that one night, and she's been faithful despite years of believing she was abandoned. Alessia discovers that Sebastian's mother Helena has been intercepting ALL correspondence between them for five years—keeping Alessia's letters telling Sebastian about the children, and keeping Sebastian's letters asking about Alessia and sending money to support her. Helena embezzled all of Sebastian's money for herself and her biological children (Tomasso, Giuliana, and Catarina) while Alessia and the triplets lived in poverty as servants in Helena's house. Alessia decides to travel to the capital to tell Sebastian the truth before signing the divorce papers—so he'll at least know his children exist.

When Miles Morretti abandons Lila at the altar for the third time—choosing his manipulative stepsister Valeria over her yet again—Lila makes the most impulsive decision of her life. She calls Alexander Calvert, her childhood best friend, and asks him to be her groom. Ten minutes later, she's married to the right man. For three years, Lila poured her heart into Miles and her talent into his company, only to watch Valeria steal credit for every success while Miles remained blind to the truth. But walking away from Miles means walking away from the empire she built—and watching it crumble without her. As Lila's new marriage blossoms into genuine love, Miles finally realizes what he's lost. His company is failing, Valeria's lies are exposed, and the woman he took for granted is thriving without him. But some mistakes can't be undone, and some chances don't come twice. A story of betrayal, empowerment, and discovering that the love you've been searching for might have been right beside you all along.

Valentine lived with her abuser—her own father. Hence, she started to become responsible and independent at such a young age. With too many goals set in mind, she ended up seeing love as something stupid and a complete waste of time. Who would have known what her own life has in store for her? Her father got sent to the hospital, suffering a condition which she concluded was the consequence he needed to face after abusing her for so many years. A handsome man—her high school bully—appeared in the scene; Valentine was forced to wed him, bound by a contract in exchange for his financial support to pay the hospital bills for her father's treatments. He loved her; she hated him. Will they be able to stay together until their marriage contract ends? How will they face their own problems now that they're married but with no mutual feelings attached?

There had been a war in the Golden Sun pack and her parents had died trying to save a stranger, mateless and wolfless Melissa was left alone to suffer until the Blue Moon pack rescued her and made her a worker in the pack to be able to cope with the loss while stories of who wiped her pack clean tangled with the famous lycan king's ruthlessness. She suffered some more when rumors started to spread about her statelessness and selflessness and she was bullied for it for a very long time. She was turning 20 on the same night that there was a moon alignment, although she was excited to meet her mate, she still endured the sufferings that went alongside the rumors until she started to get a sense that her mate was near. She had just experienced the most humiliating rejection, unable to take the taunting anymore, she lashes out and runs into the woods to escape judgment. What she wasn't expecting was to run into the arms of drunk rogue wolves who wanted nothing but trouble. Fighting to survive and nearly losing the battle, she is saved by a handsome stranger who turns out to be her second mate, and as the moon rose in all of its glory, they had a fiery night of passion and by morning he was gone. What happens when Melissa is accused of being a slut and then finds out that she was pregnant and what happens when her stranger comes to save her but this time brings knowledge of who he was. An enemy. Her mate. How does she escape the same fate her parents had? She had a responsibility now and that was to take care of her new family and nothing was going to get in the way.