Shattered Souls

Seven years I spent with Jason Shaw, but I never got a ring. Rather, all I received was an invitation to another person's wedding. That day, as a wedding planner, I was at the rehearsal, making last-minute adjustments. Looking up, I saw the man whom I waited every day to reply to my messages, walking down the aisle, arm in arm with another bride. "Her boyfriend had something urgent come up, so I'm filling in for him," he said, standing straight, his tone light, a small smile on his lips. But his eyes couldn't hide the hurt, like a child who lost his favorite toy. As if that wasn't enough, he told me to hand over my wedding plan. He patted me on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "There's no rush for us. We've got plenty of time. I promise I'll give you an even better wedding. Just help me out this time. It's not like I'm not going to marry you." He didn't know that I had revised the wedding plan hundreds of times, even counted and recounted the bouquets seven times. To me, it wasn't mere work—it was a dream I held for five long years. I didn't argue anymore, just quietly stepped aside. Later, I lay alone in a hospital bed, listening to the rain tapping against the window from outside. I counted each drop as the hours slipped through my fingers. Perhaps those who worked so hard to create happiness for others had lost the right to their own happiness.

Every orphan dreams of one thing—finding a home. When my parents finally found me, I thought I was the luckiest girl alive. But the moment I stepped through their door, I saw her—a girl my age, dressed like a princess, calling them "mom" and "dad." That girl, Cassia, had been living the life that should have been mine. She was their pride and joy, while I was nothing but an outsider. In front of others, she played the perfect sister. Behind closed doors, she made sure I knew my place. I was her shadow, her punching bag. She was my tormentor—my fake sister. I thought my husband could save me from the misery of that home. He was kind, gentle—or so I believed—until he demanded I give up my unborn child, because the only baby he wanted was hers. Betrayed by the two people I trusted most, my world crumbled as I bled alone on an operating table, my life slipping away. But destiny had other plans. I was given another chance—a chance to rewrite my story. This time, I’m ready. I’ll expose Cassia for who she truly is. I’ll protect everything that was stolen from me. I’ll no longer be the weak girl in her shadow. I’ll become my own strength, and Cassia will never have power over me again.

Harper just returned home after a grueling week-long business trip in London only to find her sister in bed with her beloved fiance, shattered, Harper swore to make them pay, for deceiving her after everything she had to sacrifice for them.

Welcome back to Clifton Heights. Sheriff Chris Baker and Father Ward meet for a Saturday morning breakfast at The Skylark Diner to once again commiserate over the weird and terrifying secrets surrounding their town. Sheriff Baker shares with Father Ward the story of a journal discovered in the ruins of what was once an elaborate koi pond and flower garden, which regales a tale of regret, buried pain, and unfulfilled debt: “Sophan” – Jake Burns has always been a bit...off. Rude, awkward, sometimes brutish, he's tolerated by Nate Slocum and his friends because he hits a mean line drive, and because they all know but don't discuss the abuse he faces at the hands of his troubled father, a Vietnam veteran consumed by his demons. But Jake is suffering something far worse than domestic abuse, and when Nate discovers what, he faces an impossible choice: help Jake and put himself in the path of evil, or abandon him, only to damn himself in the process. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

She loved him with everything she had. He hated her for reasons she could never understand. Veda and Adyant were bound by vows of marriage. While Veda’s heart beat only for him, Adyant's heart remained chained to a past he refused to let go of. Blinded by misunderstandings and haunted by his lost love, he pushed her away, until she finally walked away. Now, Adyant must fight to reclaim the woman he never knew he needed... before it's too late. In a story of shattered vows and broken hearts, will love find a way to heal?

In the heart of Valenza, where corruption and violence are twined, Gabriella Conti finds herself in the middle of it when her father sold her to the ruthless of them all—Dante Lombardi. Known for his viciousness, Dante has made a name for himself as a leader to be feared but nothing prepared him for the delicate woman that was dumped into his lap.

Nothing prepares you for heartbreak that lands only hours before your wedding. One moment you are celebrating the last hours of single life, smiling at a future you trust. The next, you are staring at proof that the man you love has betrayed you. He says he is sorry. He pleads. Yet the picture of love you held so tightly fractures in an instant. Sports agent Fiorella Barella has more than one truth to uncover, and with her closest friends beside her, she is ready to pull at every thread until the whole story unravels.

Has everything shattered apart so completely that it feels impossible to piece it back together? When a mysterious man promised answers and her family's safety, Elana found herself strapped to a chair getting experiment after experiment. Not willing to leave her alone, Nathan Night followed along, only to get drained himself and dragged into the experiments with her. Now accepting and understanding the bond she has with Nathan, Elana learns how to rely on the man she once avoided and let him help her through the darkest time of her life. With the world seemingly against them, it seems nearly impossible to escape from this never-ending cycle of torment, nevermind find answers in the world once they do.

"Hate consumes too much. Revenge isn’t worth my energy. I left you behind long ago, buried deep in my past." In a marriage that once seemed flawless, a single event triggers its sudden collapse. As everything falls apart, the wife vanishes, only to reappear changed and indifferent. No longer tied to the past, she returns with a cold detachment that leaves everyone questioning the true cost of their perfect life.

Vanessa Moore’s world shatters the moment she learns she’s pregnant—only to return home and find the man she loves in the arms of another woman. Betrayed, humiliated, and left with nothing but heartbreak, she walks away from the life she thought she knew.