So Close But So Far Away

On my boyfriend, Draco Leroyce's birthday, I take him to a newly-opened fancy restaurant of my own for his birthday meal. Thinking that we'll be having a birthday cake for dessert later, Draco and I decide to order a set meal that includes a pizza and a plate of pasta. With a smile, I hand the menu over to the waitress. She plasters a fake smile on her face as she grabs the menu. But she secretly calls us "broke ass bastards" in Virellian. I draw my brows into a deep frown instantly. "What did you just say?" The waitress is momentarily stunned. Then, she shoots me another fake smile. "I said I'll prepare your food right away." I just sneer back at the waitress before responding to her in fluent Virellian, "You were calling us broke ass bastards."

Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon ay may nabanggang guwapong binata si Marinel sa beach na dinaluhan niya. Pero wala roon ang focus niya kahit guwapo pa ito. Pangarap niyang makapagtapos ng college at makapagtrabaho sa isang pribadong hospital bilang isang nurse. Pero sadyang mapaglaro ang tadhana dahil muli silang pinagtagpo ng binatang kanyang nabangga sa beach. Bigla nitong binago ang kanyang buhay but things went rough. She never imagine na hahantong siya sa sitwasyong kailangan niyang sumugal para lamang sa binata. Hanggang saan niya kayayaning ipaglaban ito? Kung ang tadhana na mismo ang humahadlang sa pagmamahalan nilang dalawa.

When the SAT scores are out, I've scored 400 out of 1600. That's because I never wrote anything on my exam papers. My mom goes crazy, whereas my younger sister, Melinda Bolton, bursts into tears. But I just laugh at them instead. In my previous life, Melinda had formed a pact with the score-swapping system. That was how she swapped our SAT scores. She became the top scorer that all prestigious universities fought to recruit. I, the valedictorian of my year, not only got into a trade school, but I also got expelled from my previous high school. Melinda had the gall to comfort me. "Didn't you call yourself a genius, Melissa? Trade schools are very popular right now. In the future, you'll secure a job at a factory out there!" In this life, I spend my exam hours sleeping in my seat the whole time. Melinda wants to swap her scores, right? Then, let's do it properly!

My sister ate the half plate of mango I had left on the table and broke out in hives from her allergy. My brother stormed over, pried my mouth open, and poured the mango juice straight down my throat. "You love mangoes so much, don't you? Today you'll get your fill." The juice flooded my lungs. I choked, fighting for air as my throat swelled in agony, begging him to save me. Instead, he turned and locked me in the basement. "Betty suffered because of you, so don't expect any comfort. Stay down here and reflect on what you've done. Growing up without any real guidance. No wonder you're so vicious." Two days later, my mom remembered me. "Ralph, that's enough. Let Catherine out. If she stays there much longer, she might start resenting Betty." My dad chimed in casually, "What's the big deal? Just buy her something nice to make up for it." My spirit clung to his back, floating along with them toward the basement. I'd like to see how they were going to compensate a dead girl.

He left her unknowingly pregnant to Join the Army. 7years later He returns as her Bodyguard. She is in an Unhappy Marriage, used as a bargaining chip for her Tyrant Father. As an undercover for the Military, Andrew has a Job to do. keep Claire Safe and Protect old flames from flaring are his priorities.

"I asked you a question, Olivia," he murmured. "Are you going to see him?" "No," I choked out, the word broken and final. "No, Daddy. I’ll stay. I’ll stay here with you. Just please... please..." "Good girl," he growled, the praise vibrating against my skin. "You finally learned how to beg properly." ———— Chandler Sterling came back bound by a promise—nothing more. At least, that’s what he tells himself. Olivia Perez was never supposed to matter. She was off-limits, untouchable, too young—the daughter of the one man he could never betray. Once, she was just a little girl in the background. Now, she’s grown. Defiant. Reckless in a way that gets under his skin and refuses to leave. And the more he watches her, the more something inside him starts to unravel. It begins with control—stepping in, setting limits, reminding her who she belongs to. But it doesn’t stop there. Because his anger lingers too long when she’s with her boyfriend. The thoughts he’s having were never supposed to exist. On the other hand, Olivia knows something has changed. Chandler isn’t the same man she once admired from a distance. He’s colder now. Harder. Watching her like she’s something he needs to keep in line… or something he’s trying not to take. And maybe she should be afraid of that. Of him. Of the way his control feels less like protection and more like possession. But fear isn’t what she feels. Because the line they’re standing on isn’t just dangerous— it’s already breaking.

I wasn’t even pregnant, yet I ended up popping abortion pills like they were candy. It was all because in my past life, the moment my widowed sister-in-law got pregnant, every single side effect of her pregnancy became mine. She strutted around happily with her big belly, consuming spicy tamales, while I was rushed to the hospital for violent nausea and stomach pain; she showed off her flawless skin in crop tops every day, while my stomach broke out in hideous stretch marks. When I told my husband what was happening, he just shoved me away impatiently. “Enough with the jealousy! My brother’s dead, and she’s carrying his only child. Of course, I should look out for her. Do you really have to put on such an act?” After that, my sister-in-law went even further. She kept testing her limits during pregnancy and even ate a mango she was allergic to. And me? I went into anaphylactic shock, landed in the hospital, and nearly died. Doctors couldn’t explain it. They just brushed it off, saying I was overly jealous and it was all psychological. Later, my sister-in-law tried to brand herself as a “hot single mom”. She went live, belly and all, to show off her weight-loss workouts. She jumped around for three straight hours. And me? My uterus literally gave out, and I hemorrhaged to death. When I opened my eyes again, it was the exact day she first announced her pregnancy.

Kristi was pregnant with a stranger before she knew. Her Five year's old relationship boyfriend and her best friends sold her body to a stranger for a one-night stand just for money. As an orphan and being betrayed by both her Lover and Best friends, she had nobody to rely on. With the little money she had saved, she went to a foreign country and gave birth to the child. After Five Years, She saw a handsome guy with a beautiful lady having dinner in the restaurant where she worked as a chef. At the first glance, She notices him who looks more like her son though it was hard to believe it. He was the young CEO of a world-famous company. She was afraid that he might take her son away from him. She packed her all belongings and went back to her country. Will CEO ever knows about the existence of his son?

For two years, Maya loved a man who looked like forever. Caramel-skinned, radiant, loyal to a fault she gave Daniel her heart, her time, her prayers. But while she was building a future, he was building secrets. Three of her friends. Whispers at her workplace. A pregnancy he denied. Public charm. Private betrayal. She knew. She just waited. On the very day he planned to meet her parents for her knocking, Maya chose dignity over drama and walked away without ever looking back. Six months later, she meets Ethan. Steady. God-fearing. Intentional. The kind of man who prays before he pursues and protects before he possesses. With him, love feels different, safe, consuming in the right ways, and deeply passionate within covenant. But healing isn’t linear, and the past doesn’t stay buried forever. When Maya relocates for work and unexpectedly finds herself face-to-face with the woman Daniel once denied and when Daniel himself resurfaces desperate, broke, and full of regret old wounds threaten new peace. This time, however, Maya is not the woman who stayed silent. She is married. She is chosen. She is covered. And she will not be moved. She Knew, But She Waited is a powerful faith-based romance filled with betrayal, suspense, guilt, sensual covenant love, dramatic confrontations, and the kind of passion that only comes from being truly seen and truly safe. Because sometimes the greatest revenge isn’t exposure. It’s elevation.

Ten years ago, I ditched a high-paying job for my family. A decade later, they asked for my kidney—supposedly for my daughter, Talia. Turns out, the real patient was Hudson's first love's son. They didn't even fake remorse. Hudson sneered, convinced I couldn't survive without him. Talia called me old and fat, acting like I should be grateful to help Bianca's kid. A whole decade of sacrifice, and what did I get? No love. No thanks. Just entitlement. To them, I was nothing but a free, disposable maid. So I walked. No regrets. I rebuilt my life, found a job, and never looked back. Then reality smacked them. Hudson and Talia finally realized everything I'd done. They begged me to come back—but my heart was already stone-cold. In the end, I left the country, threw myself into work, and finally learned what it meant to live.