She May Not Be Cute

Hindi plano ni Alexie Kim Padilla na magmahal ulit. After being cheated on by her ex-boyfriend, she promised herself one thing—no attachments, no expectations, no pain. Kaya nang lumipat siya ng network, ang goal niya lang ay magsimula ulit at iwan ang lahat ng nakaraan. Pero isang banggaan sa hallway ang magpapabago ng lahat. Doon niya nakilala si Emmanuel Villa—gwapo, charming, at… hindi pala straight. Parte siya ng LGBTQ+ community at may boyfriend na rin. Sa unang tingin, alam na ni Alexie—hindi pwede. Pero bakit parang ang hirap umiwas? Habang tumatagal, mas nagiging malapit sila sa isa’t isa. From simpleng tulong, naging comfort, hanggang sa maging sandalan sa mga sakit na pareho nilang tinatago. Pareho silang nasaktan, pareho silang takot… pero pareho ring unti-unting nahuhulog. Hanggang sa dumating ang moment na kailangan nilang tanungin ang sarili nila—kaya ba nilang sugalan ang isang bagay na alam nilang komplikado? Isang relasyon na walang label. Isang pag-ibig na bawal. At isang katotohanan na mahirap tanggapin. Nang masira ang lahat dahil sa isang pagkakamali, mapipilitan silang harapin ang tanong na matagal nilang iniiwasan— Kung ang pag-ibig ay hindi ordinaryo… karapat-dapat pa rin ba itong ipaglaban? Sa mundong puno ng judgment, expectations, at takot—pipiliin ba nila ang isa’t isa? O hahayaan na lang nilang maging isang alaala ang lahat?

As soon as I receive my year-end bonus, I transfer 100 thousand dollars to my wife, Zoe Steele, so that she can prepare the holiday gifts for both families right away. I even tell her to buy the best quality gifts for our parents, especially the box of premium liquor meant for my dad. On New Year's Eve, I rush home to have dinner with my parents. But weirdly enough, Dad, who's an avid drinker, starts having tea instead of liquor at the dining table. This leaves me perplexed. "Dad, why aren't you cracking open a bottle of liquor for yourself during the holidays?" With a smile on my face, I get up to my feet so that I can carry the box of liquor over. "Zoe had someone buy the liquor for you, you know. I hear that the taste is exceptional." "Stop!" Dad slams his pipe against the table loudly, his face a starking shade of crimson. "Edgar, don't ever send such gifts home. I know that life is difficult for you in the city and that making money is hard. We Kennedys may be poor, but we are people with pride! "Now, everyone in the village is gossiping about us behind our backs! They claim that I've been boasting about your wealth!" Dad's words confuse me to no end. After I unscrew a bottle of liquor, I sip from it, only to feel thunderstruck. This isn't premium liquor at all! This is just mineral water packaged as liquor!

On the day the SAT results are revealed, the fake heiress, Layla Sanders, colluded with our homeroom teacher, Richard Hoffman, to report me for cheating during the exam. When I stared at both copies of the exam papers that showed the same steps and formulas, I couldn't defend myself at all. In order to preserve Layla's pride, my own parents actually forced me to admit to stealing the exam questions in advance. Then, they had me forcibly admitted into a mental asylum. The Sanders family claimed that I had gone crazy just so they could keep this particular skeleton sealed in the closet. They abandoned me, letting me be tormented endlessly in the asylum. When I finally escaped from the asylum, I died in a car crash that was meticulously staged by Layla. Only on the verge of my death did I finally realize that the so-called "blood is thicker than water" mentality was nothing compared to a tear shed by Layla. The moment I open my eyes again, I've gotten reborn in the exam hall. This time, I choose to submit my exam paper without anything scribbled on it. I'd like to see just how someone with a total of zero points can possibly copy off the so-called top scorer of SAT.

My younger fraternal twin brother finally gets a girlfriend. Our parents, who are overseas, entrust me with the task of welcoming her. I instruct the maids to prepare a feast to welcome her. As we sit around the dining table, my brother scoops a bowl of soup for me himself. After that meal, my brother's girlfriend pulls a long face at me. "Who gave you the right to eat the soup my darling scooped? How could you be so lazy? You can't even cook, yet you're not even embarrassed to stuff yourself with all that food!" I'm stunned by her outrageous words. I reply in annoyance, "What does that have to do with you anyway? I'll do as I please!" She glares at me with hatred written all over her face and yells, "Why aren't you married yet? The family's assets belong to me and my darling. Who do you think you are that you can spend our money? "Just look at you. You will never be able to get married like this. Perhaps it'll be better for you if you beg me to introduce my elder cousin to you. He doesn't mind that you're lazy. All he wants is for you to give him a son. He earns over ten thousand dollars a month!" I'm dumbstruck by her shamelessness. I storm straight to the bathroom where my brother is and bang on the door repeatedly. "Come out here right now! What is with your girlfriend? And since when have our family's assets become yours and yours alone?"

Ara once thought Logan was her perfect lover. He was everything she dreamed of—charming, sophisticated, and with a deep love for art that matched her own. Together, they shared long conversations about paintings, literature, and life, and Logan seemed to understand her in ways no one else ever had. For a while, she truly believed he was the perfect man, the one she was meant to be with forever. But when she discovered the truth, she realized he’d only been using her to get closer to the woman he truly wanted. Heartbroken and betrayed, Ara walked away in the pouring rain, her heart shattered but her resolve stronger than ever. She would never let him back in. Three years later, Logan resurfaces—not through a business deal with her company, but through an unexpected acquisition of one of its key partners. Determined to win Ara back, Logan is no longer the man she once knew. He’s cold, relentless, and will stop at nothing to force her back into his world. “You can’t escape me, Ara. This time, I’ll make you stay.” But Ara is no longer the same woman she was. Her fierce independence and stubborn heart refuse to let Logan back in, no matter how hard he pushes. As their past resurfaces, secrets about Logan’s possible connection to her father’s death threaten to unravel everything.

After the death of the Alpha couple, Olivia had to face the ruthless truth about her upbringing. With nothing left to hold her down, she ran to escape the memories that weren't hers. But this time, she didn't run with nothing; she ran with his mark burning as deep as her soul. *** The crowd of wolves gasped in horror. Some screamed, and many women burst into tears while their Alpha licked the blood from Olivia's skin. Olivia shivered when his disgusting lips left her neck. Noah's hand ran through her hair, grabbing a fistful of her snow-white curls; he pulled her against his body and whispered, "Good luck avoiding me now, rogue." ***

After the car accident, one of the Laurent heiresses has died, while the other lives. The moment my religious wife, Amelia Laurent, opens her eyes in the hospital, she addresses me as her brother-in-law. Then, she claims that her older sister, Penelope Laurent's soul has possessed her body. I quickly get all the doctors and priests I can find, hoping to swap Penelope's soul out for Amelia's. That is, until I overhear Amelia's conversation with our daughter, Charlotte Robinson, at night. "Mom, you've had a crush on Uncle Samuel for so many years, and you've even gone into abstinence by staying in the monastery for years. Now, you can finally be with him in the open." Amelia pats Charlotte on the head. "If it wasn't for the need to prevent your father from ruining Samuel's relationship back then, I wouldn't have married your father in the first place." As I struggle to register the truth from the shadows, I witness what happens next after Charlotte leaves the ward. Amelia, who has always prided herself on her composure and restraint; who has practiced abstinence for seven long years for the sake of her religion, proceeds to be physically intimate with Samuel Bennett—a fresh widower—on the cramped hospital bed. The next day, I apply for Amelia's death certificate immediately before burning our marriage certificate. On the day Amelia throws a grand proposal banquet for Samuel, I board the helicopter that has flown over to pick me up. But strangely enough, Amelia tears through the streets while chasing after the helicopter.

Language used: ENGLISH • • • • Don't Let Go Trilogy #1 • • • • When I was just 5 years old, I used to love grandma's stories. Like, having an arranged marriage and being in love. It was magical but now that I really think about it, it's a bit silly. Why? It's simple. Less freedom. Girlfriends. Boyfriends. Sleep-overs. Parties. Journeys. You can't possibly do all of those things when your hands are tied. Besides, what if you don't love that person? And that you'll never, ever, learn to love that person? Can't you choose the person that your heart wants instead? Seriously, love is complicated. • • • • • Kira Castelle is an amiable, easy-to-talk-to, and a laid-back 17 year old lady that has sworn to put love aside and continue reaching for her dreams. Not until a perfect storm happened. When females turn 18 and males turn 21, they are assigned a marriage partner by the government. With this, they just have to wait for the country to find their compatible partner and become happy. When Kira Castelle finally turned 18, she has to meet her partner. Neal Valastro. A drop-dead gorgeous man of stone. He's the epitome of perfection and Kira's polar opposite. The problem is, will this work out just fine for Kira? Will she ever be Ready? or Not? • • • • •

At nine months pregnant, I suffered an unexpected miscarriage. My husband, Graham Pearson, fought back his own grief as he comforted me. He would whisper to me every day, trying to soothe my shattered heart, "Whitney, we will have children again someday. Our little angel was here for a while, and next time, we'll make sure we hold onto them..." Under Graham's careful care, I slowly began to pull myself out of the numb fog I'd been trapped in. But then, a month later, I overheard him talking to one of his friends. "If Whitney finds out the baby didn't actually die and that you've let Cassidy raise him, don't you think she'll flip out? You've worked so hard to get where you are; you can't let this mess it all up." Graham casually flicked his cigarette, his voice almost detached as he waved a hand dismissively. "Cassidy can't have kids, but she loves children. If this baby brings her joy, it's a blessing for the child, too. "I might never get the chance to be with Cassidy, but letting her raise my son, in some way, feels like a kind of fulfillment..." The truth hit me like a frozen wave, paralyzing me in place. It turned out this whole ordeal had been part of Graham's plan from the start.

I was in a relationship with Quinn Lucas for five years and thought I had touched her with my sincerity. That night, I got a phone call from her when I was preparing to propose to her. "Kyle, come to the hotel." Then, she sent me the address. When I arrived, she told me to buy contraceptives from the supermarket next door. I thought we were close to our happily ever after, so I was excited. When I knocked on the door of her room again, I saw a man, who took the contraceptives in my hand and thanked me. I froze in place...