Smile But Crying

Elara Ellis thought her life was secure being married to a successful man for 8 years, raising her son, and keeping the family happy. But when betrayal hits too close to home, she realizes her marriage is nothing but a gilded cage. Divorced, humiliated, and alone, Elara must navigate the cutthroat world of wealth, lies, and power. And just when she feels completely lost, her husband, Adrian Hale’s mysterious billionaire uncle appears, offering not only protection but a chance at revenge. As they scheme together, lines blur, feelings ignite, and Elara must decide if her heart is a weapon—or a liability.

My mate, Theo Burke, dies in a fight. Our son, Jax Burke, has now lost his father. Liam Burke, Theo's twin older brother, consoles me by saying, "I will treat Jax like my own son." He keeps his word, taking excellent care of Mia Parker, his mate, and me. However, I happen to overhear a conversation he has with a witch, Agatha Rune. "Give me more of that potion that masks my scent. I can't let Olivia find out that I'm Theo." This is how I find out that my mate isn't dead after all. He has simply adopted Liam's identity and now spends every night in bed with Mia next door. In order to get an heir with a purer bloodline, he assumes the identity of his dead twin brother and breeds with Mia. What he doesn't know is that I'm the daughter of the most powerful Alpha King in the Southern Woodlands. As it stands, a far superior bloodline flows in Jax's veins.

I was the real daughter of the Sinclair family, yet I was the one abandoned when their fake daughter and I were kidnapped and taken to the top of a building. They were given a choice between the two of us, and they chose to save the fake daughter, letting me be pushed off from the eighteenth-floor balcony. Even though I survived, I was completely disappointed in them. Then, their attitudes changed overnight. My parents, who despised me, started asking me about my likes and dislikes. My brother who wished me dead, started suddenly giving me precious jewelry. Even my fiancé, who always claimed I was nothing compared to the fake daughter, started to prepare for our wedding. To say I was confused was an understatement.

For three years, Nathan and his family treated me like I was an empty can because I wasn't able to conceive a child. I watched Nathan get close to my cousin but I couldn't do anything. He wanted her first. When I finally received the news about my pregnancy, I wasn't happy about it but I hoped it would save my marriage. However, just when I was about to tell Nathan, my husband, I found out that my cousin was also carrying his child. Nathan divorced me and I chose to keep the baby a secret from him and started a new life after the divorce. Five years later, I am now a famous fashion designer in London. Seeing this and my daughter, Nathan wants me back desperately, apologizing for all he has done but I can't think of accepting him because I am now into a man who I eventually learn is his uncle. Mateo is my savior and sponsor, but when things become very intense, I see myself wanting him, but my ex-husband returns, and now I'm stuck between a hard place and a rock. I want to be with Mateo, but Nathan shows that he has really changed; who…who now?

I'm a medical miracle by nature. My blood is a natural antidote that can cure various poisons. When Miriam Wiley, the unmaterialistic heiress of the upper crust, gets bitten by a venomous snake, her life goes into countdown. At the critical juncture in my previous life, I slit my wrist and bled in order to help her cure the poison. After saving Miriam's life, I found out that whoever saved her would become the future son-in-law of the Wiley family. But the first thing Miriam did after inheriting her family fortune was to drain me of my blood. "Back then, Cedric was already rushing to me with a special drug! If I could wait for five more minutes, I'd be able to marry him! "You just had to interfere with my plan by stealing the position of the son-in-law from him! You made him slit his wrist and take his own life out of despair! "You claimed that your blood is an antidote to all the poisons in the world, right? I'd like to see how many antidotes I can actually produce from your blood!" After I got my blood drained, I was tossed into a cage filled with predators. My corpse ended up being battered and broken. As for my parents, they took some poison and ended their own lives after the Wileys forced them into bankruptcy. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Miriam gets poisoned. Her mother, Verna Seymour, looks at me expectantly. "I heard that you're a medical miracle. Are you willing to save my daughter's life?" I quickly turn her down. "Those are just rumors, Mrs. Wiley. Besides, it's unsanitary to use blood as a form of antidote. You don't have to worry, though. I heard that Mr. Campbell is rushing toward this place with a special drug as we speak. Surely Ms. Wiley will live to see the day!" I'm starting to look forward to the outcome. Without my antidote, Miriam can forget about inheriting her family fortune. In fact, it'll be a miracle if she can live for an extra month.

I burst through the hospital doors; they barely let me into his room. Machines beeped in a rhythm that sounded like a countdown. I grabbed his frail hand. “No, Eli, stay with me; please stay with me.” The nurse stepped back to give me space. “His condition’s worsening. We need the rest of the money by tomorrow so that the surgery will be performed, or we’ll have to transfer him to a state facility, and you know what that means.” I nodded numbly. I promise to think of something. I said, sobbing uncontrollably and forcefully handling the doctor the money Ryker gave to me. I know it's not enough, but please help me start with this. I will make it up. The nurse returned the money, and nurse Kara pulled me outside. “What are you doing, Lucy”? Is this how you intend to save your brother? *** What would you do if you needed to save your brother from a sick bed? Lucy, a stripper, is on the verge of losing her brother because of hospital bills that she could not afford. Comes Ryker, a Ruthless Mafia Boss who is the best option for Lucy to save her brother because all she needs to do is give birth to his heirs, and he would settle her brother's hospital bills. After Lucy signs a contract marriage with Ryker, she discovers that Ryker has been keeping secrets of hers; he knows that Lucy is a wealthy heiress. Will she continue to carry Ryker's baby, or will she terminate the pregnancy?

My mother-in-law has gotten kidnapped, and yet my husband, Josiah Broadway, decides to celebrate the success of his childhood sweetheart, Vivian Spencer's performance with her. The kidnapper has requested a ten-million-dollar ransom. If he doesn't receive the money in his bank account in an hour, he'll kill the hostage immediately. But my calls to Josiah's phone never go through. When there's only one minute left on the timer, Josiah calls me back calmly. "Since that hag is already that old, she might as well die. I'm not wasting my money on her." Just like that, my mother-in-law is thrown into the sea by the furious kidnapper. The search-and-rescue team has to resort to using long hooks in order to fish her corpse out of the sea. As soon as the body is delivered to the crematorium, Josiah sends me a voice message excitedly. "Have your mom's corpse sent to the studio! Vivian's performance needs a corpse anyway! Using a real corpse will make the whole performance seem more realistic!" I'm pissed off, to say the least. So, that bastard thinks that my mom is the one who died, huh? After that, I have my mother-in-law's corpse, which is completely disfigured from all the fishing and hooking, sent to the studio without any hesitation.

My daughter hid inside the cabinet, her trembling hands dialing her father—James, the Alpha of our pack. "Mommy's bleeding a lot. Please, come back and save her," she pleaded. "I'm busy. Don't bother me," James said coldly. "If she's going to die, make sure she does it far away." As he wished, I never bothered him again. Because I really did die, right in front of our wedding photo. When he found out, he went mad, completely mad.

After marrying my Alpha mate, I realized everything had been a sweet lie. I grew up in a werewolf orphanage, until three months ago, when my Alpha father suddenly found me and brought me home. At my welcome party, fate led me straight into the arms of my mate. I truly believed I was the luckiest girl in the world—until I found out I had a twin sister. She’s beautiful, adored, and dying. Turns out, everyone was kind to me just so I could have a child to save my twin sister’s life. Everyone loves her—not me. I was nothing more than her shadow. To protect my unborn baby from becoming a pawn, I ran. In my panic, I accidentally crossed into the territory of the most powerful pack. It was far too dangerous. Just as I was trying to escape, a stranger stepped out from the shadows and called me mate... My wolf instantly recognized him—he’s the Alpha of this pack. Fear and confusion flooded my heart. Moon Goddess, how could I possibly have two Alpha mates? They're nothing alike... One is cold and distant, the other is dominant and possessive, and now... I have to choose.

In a desperate bid to save her family from financial devastation and her mother's life-threatening illness, Emily Fields makes a Faustian pact with the enigmatic billionaire Richard Grey. He demands she sign a contract to become his wife and serve as his personal secretary, a proposition that leaves Emily with little choice but to comply. As she navigates the complexities of her new role and Richard's frosty demeanor, Emily finds herself drawn to his charming and handsome nephew, Alex Grey. Torn between duty and desire, Emily's life becomes a delicate balancing act. As her forbidden attraction to Alex intensifies, she must confront the risks of following her heart versus fulfilling her obligations. Will she risk everything for love, or will the contract bind her to a life of unfulfilled longing?