Social Graces

When Eloise Garpin, my daughter, comes back from kindergarten, she tells me that her teacher, Karen Linsell, has given her class a weird assignment. Apparently, everyone is to record their mothers' menstrual week. But what makes things weirder is that whenever I'm on my period, John Garpin, my husband who's often busy with work, keeps offering to pick Eloise up from kindergarten. One day, I come across a post on a social media app. "What should I do? I've fallen in love with my student's rich father! Oh dear, I really like him so much! You have no idea that his taut and slim waist looks so seductive! Every time I see him, I can't help but moan!" Someone begins admonishing her out of fury the moment they see the post. "What the hell? Are you itching to become a mistress? You really are shameless! Goodness, you're so disgusting! I can't believe you call yourself a teacher!" Unexpectedly, the original poster doesn't care about the comment at all. She even posts a photo featuring the aftermath of her carnal fun with the man. "So what if I am? Anyway, we regularly sleep together every month whenever he picks his daughter up during his wife's period. This is so thrilling!" I'm stunned when I see the million-dollar custom watch strapped to the man's wrist in the photo. And today… happens to be the first day of my period.

Olive Perez is known as the lousy b*tch troublemaker. She comes from a wealthy family and can easily obtain anything she wishes. Though Olive is often seen as a "troublemaker" due to her rebellious nature, she was a kindhearted and sweet young woman. She had a strong sense of justice and was never afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She was also generous and treated people with respect, regardless of their social status. Pero paano kung ang katulad ni Olive na walang kinakatakutan at inaatrasan ay biglang manlumo nang makita mismo ng dalawang niyang mga mata kung paano binawian ng buhay ang kanyang mga magulang na walang kalaban-laban? It was a traumatizing and emotionally draining experience for her, and she's never been able to get over it. Sino ang magiging sandalan niya? Sino ang mananatili sa tabi niya para damayan siya? Aragon Hudson, a handsome and clever guy, who hates troublemakers like her showed up in her life amid her tragic life. Ang binatang ito ang magiging balikat niya sa sandaling paghihinagpis niya sa pagkamatay ng kanyang mga magulang. Ngunit paano kung ang inakala niyang mananatili sa tabi niya kahit pa ano ang mangyari ay iwan rin siya sa kadahilanang isa siyang troublemaker? What could be the destined faith waiting for the both of them? Would it be love, hate, or destruction in each other's lives?

SIS (Social Issue Series) #4: Bullying They say that beauty is a luxury. That good looks is the only privilege that matters. That the world is only in favor of those who were born pretty.Sa panahon nga raw ngayon, parang kasalanan na ang pagiging less attractive. You're unappealing? Emotionally weak? Naive? How pathetic. Now you gotta deal with the consequences, loser. Sounds like bullshit? Yup. The truth may be harsh but it is what it is. Once you failed to reach the very high standards set by the society, you're doomed. Yara Isabelle got the deadliest combination of being unattractive, soft-hearted and innocent. But she used to get by and survive the bullying just fine. Because she got her knight-in-shining armor. Her childhood sweetheart. Not until he stopped saving her. Not until he stopped caring. Not until he got fed up of everything.Sky Edison used to be full of compassion. But that was before something terrible happened within their family. His perception had changed. He now finds it ridiculous that people let themselves get treated badly.However, the downside is that for some significant circumstances, these two have to share a condo as they enter senior high school. What could possibly happen given their situation?How would it feel like living under the same roof not with your bully but your former superhero who's now just a witness of your despair? How would it feel like going home to a place with a person who gets to see you getting bullied everyday at school?

She rubbed her forehead profusely, "You do, you could walk away and save yourself now and I will be fine and I will understand." He glanced at her and his gaze locked and there was a level of sincerity in them, "If I save myself, who's going to save you?" ***** Jasmin Whyte was a twenty-six-year-old thief who ran away from her boyfriend after she caught him cheating, an excuse to finally leave her old life behind and start over, but when she discovered that she was two weeks pregnant for her him, she began back to her old ways. It wasn't long before she fell into trouble which was how she ran into billionaire Cainan Inferno and her life took an unexpected turn. Cainan Inferno was a thirty-three-year-old Billionaire and the CEO of The Inferno group which was the largest company in the country. He once had it all with money and looks, but his life took a sour turn after he lost his wife Neriah Gomez to cancer. Meeting Jasmin Whyte sparked the feeling he thought was long dead and he knew the only one capable of helping him move on from his late wife was her. He tracked her down and made her an offer she couldn't refuse while ignoring all the threats her past posed to his name, reputation and social status. All he asks in return was for her to steal his heart. Will she be able to do the one thing he asks or will she lose her heart in the process?

It was our wedding anniversary when my husband's high school sweetheart posted a sonogram picture on her social media, with her captioning a public thank-you to my husband: [Thank you to the man who's been there for me for ten years, and for giving me a son.] The room spun, and anger surged through me as I quickly commented: [So, you're proud of being a homewrecker?] Almost immediately, my husband called, his voice full of rage. "How can you think such disgusting things? All I did was help her with IVF, fulfilling her dream of becoming a single mom. "And by the way, Ruby only needed one try to get pregnant, while you’ve been through three rounds with nothing. Your body is useless!" Just three days ago, he told me he was going abroad for business—ignoring my calls and messages the entire time. I thought he was just busy. However, it turned out he was with her, attending her prenatal checkup. Half an hour later, Ruby posted again, showing off a table full of delicious food. [I got tired of French food, so Ash made me all my favorite dishes. He’s the best!] I stared at the pregnancy test in my hand, the joy I had felt earlier now completely gone. After eight years of love and six years of swallowing my pride just to keep the marriage alive, I’m finally ready to let go.

Rachel Sinclair lost everything when a fraud conviction destroyed her life as a social worker. Five years later, she's reinvented herself as Raven Steele—a woman with a clean past and a dangerous mission. Her target: the Diamondback Motorcycle Club, a vicious criminal organization that operates with impunity while the system looks the other way. Using the forgotten murder of a small-time dealer as her cover story, Raven infiltrates the deadly world of motorcycle clubs. But her carefully laid plans collide with Jax Savage, the devastatingly dangerous president of the Savage Saints MC. Muscular, tattooed, and lethal, Jax has been waging his own war against the Diamondbacks since they murdered his younger brother. What starts as a tactical alliance quickly ignites into an attraction neither can resist. As Raven goes deeper undercover with the enemy, feeding intelligence to Jax while maintaining her cover, the line between duty and desire blurs. But in a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, their growing connection threatens to destroy everything they've worked for. When Raven's deception leads to a devastating blow against the Diamondbacks, she becomes the target of a deadly bounty. Forced to reveal her criminal past to the man she's falling for, she must decide if their connection is strong enough to survive the truth. With enemies closing in and a war erupting in the streets, Raven and Jax face an impossible choice: save themselves or save each other. In the savage world of motorcycle clubs, some hearts are worth fighting for—and some are worth dying for. *Content warning: Contains explicit language, violence, mature themes, and sexual content. Recommended for readers 18+.*

Camila was born a slave, and for that, she wasn't entitled to a last name. She and her mother, a prisoner of war, served diligently in the house of a Jorvikian General, who took pity on them and gave them a home. Life was relatively smooth until Camila became an unwitting pawn in a plot to ruin the life of Ronan, the first son of the Morosov household. On the morning of Ronan's wedding day, Camila woke up in his bed, clueless about what had transpired. This incident sent their lives spiralling into sorrow and pain. Ronan lost the woman he loved and wanted to marry, while Camila and her mother were branded as enemies and social climbers. Life became unbearable for the young slave, and things worsened when she discovered that the incident had resulted in a pregnancy. Fearing for her child's and her mother's safety in a harsh world, Camila was surprised when the Morosovs showed some humanity. They allowed her to keep the baby on the condition that she would raise the child as a nanny. This option was better than being thrown out on the streets to fend for herself and her baby. Nearly two years later, Ronan returned, having stayed away. When he realised what had happened, he decided to take Camila and his daughter to live with him. Although Camila was to live as his maid and their daughter's nanny, the question remained: would the bond they shared ignite an unknown spark between them? Would Ronan forsake his ambitions and allow himself to fall for a woman he was trained not to love?

Après le départ de ma petite sœur à l'étranger, j'ai épousé le Don de la mafia à sa place. Cinq ans après notre mariage, nous sommes devenus les plus grands ennemis l'un de l'autre. Il me détestait pour avoir chassé ma sœur et avoir manigancé mon mariage avec lui. Je le détestais pour m'avoir toujours traitée comme une remplaçante, sans jamais me reconnaître devant le monde entier. Mon manque de statut social humiliait mes parents vaniteux, et à partir de ce moment-là, leur amour pour moi s'est transformé en haine. Finalement, lui et mes parents m'ont abandonnée dans une montagne enneigée alors qu'ils fêtaient Noël avec ma sœur. Dans le froid intense, je suis morte avec mon enfant à naître. Pendant ce temps, ma sœur baignait dans l'amour de tous et passait le Noël le plus heureux de sa vie. Lorsque j'ai rouvert les yeux, je me suis retrouvée le jour où ma sœur est revenue de l'étranger. Cette fois-ci, je n'allais plus supplier Gideon ni mes parents de m'aimer.

On Christmas Eve, my parents and my fiancé, Ivano Dominici, finally agree to accompany me to Iberion to see the aurora. But when I arrive there, they never show up no matter how long I wait. I send messages to ask. They reply helplessly that something urgent has come up at the last minute and tell me to go to the observation point and wait. I stand alone on the icy field, turning back every few minutes to look at the road behind me. When my hands grow numb from the cold, I scroll my social media feed and see a recent post from my younger sister, Giada Soave. Holding gifts in her arms, she sits beneath a luxurious crystal Christmas tree with my parents embracing her from both sides. Ivano stands behind her with his hand resting lightly at her waist and his eyes full of tenderness. The caption reads, "Merry Christmas, I'm grateful to spend the holiday with those who love me most!" The comments section buzzes with blessings, praise, and envious messages. I stare at the screen for a long time without moving. This is not the first time they break their promise to me because of Giada. But this time, I do not argue or make a scene. I simply type and send one line calmly in the comments, "I wish your family of four a Merry Christmas." I finally let go of my obsession and stop waiting for people who will never come to me. But when I quietly step away, the ones who cannot let go turn out to be them.

On the night before the wedding, my fiancé’s female best friend, Marisol Vance, sent me a set of photos. In the photos, she wore the custom haute couture wedding gown I had commissioned, leaning into Lucian Drake’s arms, with a caption meant to provoke me: [Borrowing your groom and your dress for a moment—after all, Lucian said I look better in this than you do.] Soon after, my social feed was flooded with their so-called wedding photos. In the images, the two of them staged a mock kiss, the caption reading: [More than friends, not quite lovers. If we had been born ten years earlier, there would have been no place for anyone else.] I held up the photos and confronted Lucian, yet he played his game indifferently, then tossed his phone aside, his face full of impatience. “I told you, it was just for fun—a way to commemorate our youth. Can you stop acting like a shrew? She was just diagnosed with depression. What’s wrong with me comforting her?” Looking at his self-righteous expression, I smiled. “Fine. Since your bond is so unbreakable, I won’t play the villain.” That very night, I drafted a withdrawal agreement and halted the arrangements I had been making with a top-tier overseas medical team for his mother. “The wedding is off. Don’t expect me to keep patching up your bankrupt company, and don’t expect me to save your mother either. “Your youth is precious—I hope you can afford to pay the price to keep it so.”