Shots In A Fifth

On the night of our fifth wedding anniversary, I set the table, lit the candles, and waited on the couch for my husband to come home. As I scrolled through my feed to pass the time, a message notification popped up–from his old classmate, Susie Cartman. "Angela, thanks to Calvin's seed, I can finally have my own baby." The message came with a selfie–her grinning at the camera, holding up a medical slip in one hand, flashing a peace sign with the other. I touched my stomach, where our child was quietly growing. Calvin… Did you really think everything in life would always go your way?

Believed to be cursed by the Moon Goddess, after Vynessa lost her fifth mate once again, every male wolf avoided her like a plague. Her step-sister and stepmother plotted and convinced Vynessa’s father to force her into a contract marriage, with the old ruthless Alpha of their pack. All for the sake of the family business. Devastated and heartbroken, Vynessa flees into the woods, but ends up having a one-time sex with a stranger. What will happen when the stranger turns out to be the young powerful Alpha of the Rogues and the fated mate of Vynessa? How will the event turn out when the Alpha of the Rogues wants to claim Vynessa but she is married to another? Let’s ride through the twisted journey of fate, romance, evil, and manipulation.

Anna McClain, the daughter of Jacob McClain—one of the most ruthless Mafia lords—wanted nothing more than a life away from the ruthlessness and bloodshed that came with her family name. In a desperate bid to see this wish fulfilled, she ran away from home. This turned out to be the best decision of her life, as she met the love of her life, Aiden Smith. But the joy was short-lived, as disaster struck on the fifth year of her escape—the night Aiden proposed to her. Her brother, Liam, resurfaced, dragging her back into the life she so desperately sought to avoid. Faced with two choices: to marry into another Mafia, or risk losing her life and Aiden's, what will Anna decide?

“You’re mine now, Wifey. You don’t call the shots; I do.” Just weeks before her wedding, Kourtney Allen’s world shatters when she catches her fiancé in bed with her sister. Her devastation deepens when her family sides with her sister, forcing Kourtney to walk away from the life she thought was hers. Writhing in pain and coughing up blood, she plots her revenge. Unexpectedly, she got a husband — Sebastian Woods, the ruthless, untouchable billionaire feared as “The Stone-Hearted CEO.” Known for his cold demeanor and strange aversion to women, he’s shocked to discover Kourtney doesn’t trigger his mysterious condition. Intrigued, he offers her an escape: a marriage on his terms. But the man’s idea of marriage is control, and Kourtney refuses to be tamed. As secrets from her past emerge and his first love returns, their fiery dynamic threatens to explode. Can Kourtney break free from the chains of his obsession, or will she surrender to the man she swore to despise?

Claire's love for Richard was legendary—three years of devotion that everyone envied. Until the day she found her best friend Monica on top of her husband in their living room, and her world shattered. "Sign it, Claire," Richard said, tossing divorce papers at her hospital bed, his once-warm blue eyes now ice cold. "You disgust me. You're clingy, obsessed, and suffocating." One year later, Claire Winfred returns to town—transformed, powerful, and engaged to billionaire Alexander Hayes. But she hasn't come back for a new beginning. She's come back for revenge. Now she's the one calling the shots, trapping Richard behind his desk, her hand gripping his tie. "Tell me, Richard," she purrs, "do you still find me disgusting?" "Yes," he lies, even as his body betrays him. "Then explain why you're so hard right now." The seduction has begun. But in a game this dangerous, who will be the hunter and who will be the prey?

They call it Area Alpha 101. It doesn’t appear on the world map or the satellites, but it’s rumoured to be there. It’s unofficially the largest continent on Earth, but the humans aren’t educated on it. Only the top shots in the governments and monarchies know about it, but have kept it a secret from everyone else. No-one answers questions regarding it. People have been quoted saying that they tried to get in, but they only hit a barrier. This barrier is said to be invisible, yet you can’t see what’s on the other side. For centuries, no-one has been able to get past the barrier, and those who try, come away ‘bewitched’, or so it has been reported. You know what the funny part about this is? There are literally signs that say “NO HUMANS ALLOWED” just a distance away from the ‘barrier’. You can imagine the insane theories that the human civilization has come up with in regards to what they imagine could be behind the barrier. The biggest guess as you yourself would probably guess is aliens; but that’s just it – NO-ONE knows what’s behind the barrier. Except me that is. Or so I thought.

To the world, he's the enigmatic Capo of the Chicago Outfit, a man of power, control, and unwavering resolve. He's sculpted his life meticulously, sticking to a code that demands order. Yet, sometimes, even the most disciplined minds can be led astray. Claire “Cindy” Parker is the life of every party, a vivacious burst of sunshine that lights up any room. She's the dance-off initiator, karaoke microphone grabber, and the queen of themed costume parties. But beneath her party-loving spirit, Cindy hides a well of pain and dark memories, mastering the art of masking her inner pain with humor and charm. When these two collide, sparks don't fly; instead, it's like a showdown from an old Western, and shots are fired, both literally and metaphorically. Their personalities are oil and water, refusing to mix, igniting heated arguments that often lead to explosive situations. Yet, beneath the surface tension, an undeniable attraction simmers, their paths destined to intertwine. Slowly but surely, they begin to unravel each other's layers, exposing vulnerabilities they've long kept hidden.

When my wife brought her lover home for the fifth time, I decided enough was enough. I said nothing, not a word of complaint or protest. Instead, I superglued the windows shut and locked the bedroom door from the outside. From the bedroom came the muffled sounds of her little escapade, breathless and feverish, carrying through the walls like a shameful melody no one asked to hear. Calmly, I sat in the living room, picked up the phone, and called my mother-in-law. "Jessie," I said, putting on my best tone of urgency, "it's bad—real bad! Your daughter's locked herself in the bedroom and says she's gonna end it all!"

Claire's love for Richard was legendary — three years of devotion that everyone envied. Until the day she found her best friend Monica on top of her husband in their living room, and her world shattered. "Sign it, Claire," Richard said, tossing divorce papers at her hospital bed, his once-warm blue eyes now ice cold. "You disgust me. You're clingy, obsessed, and suffocating." One year later, Claire Winfred returns to town — transformed, powerful, and engaged to billionaire Alexander Hayes. But she hasn't come back for a new beginning. She's come back for revenge. Now she's the one calling the shots, trapping Richard behind his desk, her hand gripping his tie. "Tell me, Richard," she purrs, "do you still find me disgusting?" "Yes," he lies, even as his body betrays him. "Then explain why you're so hard right now." The seduction has begun. But in a game this dangerous, who will be the hunter and who will be the prey?

I receive a mysterious parcel on my fifth wedding anniversary. Inside the box are photos of my husband, Luke Madden, being intimate with his assistant. The photos go back a long time—they seem to start from over five years ago. The latest one was taken half a month ago. He, his assistant, and their daughter are playing by the seaside. They smile brightly in the photo and look like a happy family of three. I suppress my devastation and take medication to terminate my pregnancy. Then, I pull out my phone to text my mother. "I'll do as you say and get a divorce, Mom. I'll be back next month to take over the company."