Squidward Exhausted

She was never meant to stand beside a billionaire. Now she is one. When Lura David accidentally spills coffee on a stranger’s thousand-dollar suit, she thinks it’s just another bad day. Broke, exhausted, and drowning in bills, she’s used to apologies that fix nothing. But the man she bumps into isn’t just anyone he’s Lord Xavier Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire with thirty days to fulfill a brutal condition: “Inherit this company, or your brother takes everything.” To claim his legacy, Xavier needs a wife. Love isn’t required just a signature on a contract. He never expected to choose Lura sharp-tongued, unimpressed, and utterly indifferent to his wealth. But that’s exactly why she’s perfect. One contract. Twelve months. Three million dollars. No emotions. No attachments. But Lura is not what she seems not the way she fights him, not the secrets she hides from him, and not the way she makes him feel. Xavier’s enemies are watching. Lura’s past is catching up. And the contract meant to save them… might destroy them both. When betrayal splits them apart, Lura disappears Only to return as something Xavier never saw coming: A billionaire. A CEO. Two enemies. Two empires. One love that was never supposed to survive. But after lies, heartbreak, and war… Will they still choose each other?

On the fifth year of our hidden marriage, I died on the operating table of a hospital belonging to Allen Jones. Before I died, I called him ninety-nine times, begging for help. The last time, he finally answered. His voice was heavy with impatience. "Enough already. First, it's pregnancy, now it's liver cancer. Can you stop making a scene? I'm exhausted from work. "Mia, when did you learn to lie? Do you know how disgusting you are right now? "I'm warning you—if you keep this up, I'll divorce you. Don't even think about coming back home until you admit you're wrong." But this time, I could never go back. Just before the call ended, I heard him comforting Sadie with a gentleness he had never shown me. "Don't be afraid. The surgery will be over soon, and you'll be fine. Once you're out, I'll take you to see your favorite movie and eat at your favorite restaurant. I promised you, and I'll make it all come true." After he hung up, I called him for the hundredth time. He didn't answer. Later, when Allen saw my body on the operating table, he broke down completely.

In my previous life, my husband had suddenly died of a brain hemorrhage, leaving behind a massive mountain of debt. For the sake of my son, who was still in high school, I sold the house my parents had left me, gritted my teeth, and worked three jobs to pay off the debt. Overworked and exhausted, my health deteriorated, and I eventually collapsed in the hospital. From my bed, I could hear my son, now a graduate from a prestigious university, smiling as he spoke on the phone. "Hello? Dad, it's me. Yeah, she's about to die. I bought insurance for her, so we should get close to one million. You and Aunt Rena should come back home right away." The "Aunt Rena" he spoke of was none other than my husband's childhood friend and neighbor who had known him for years. It turned out that the debts were all part of a massive money-laundering scheme between my husband and his childhood sweetheart. They had fabricated false accounts to hide their crime, and he had faked his death to escape the law. My son, eager to become the heir to wealth, had stood by and watched me work myself to death. When I next opened my eyes, I was back in the moment of my husband's feigned brain hemorrhage, the day it had all begun.

Farrah Evans is the definition of the modern-day liberated lady. Get drunk, get laid, and get your freedom. That was what she wants for the rest of her life. Not a percentage, not even in her dreams she imagined of being married and committed to only one man. The plan is to be a forever rich single Auntie who lives alone in a mansion, wears a pair of Gucci gloves on a wedding, and brag about traveling around the world while holding a limited edition LV bag on her Amigas.However, Uno Saldivar is the most persistent and longest suitor she encountered in her life. The man started to pursue her back in senior high days. Uno is a certified nerdy boy who got no fun, he's a studious, hardworking geek who aims to be one of the most successful men on their generation. And the one who will marry Farrah, the girl of his daydreams. Farrah doesn't know that she's falling for him. She is a known playgirl who hooks up with rich handsome boys and being with Uno will taint her image. She planned to escape the humiliation she'll experience so she never admitted to herself that she likes the man and covered it with anger. Annoyed and exhausted of him chasing her, she made a deal. "When I reached the age of twenty-seven and I'm still not married nor have a boyfriend, I'll marry you. If anyone of us refuses to get married, the one who rejects will pay the other million dollars." After years of being apart from Uno, a tragedy happened which turned her life upside down.

School had just dismissed us for the exam-break when my roommate begged me not to leave her alone in the dorm. She said she was scared and wanted to come home with me. Out of kindness, I brought her back with me. I had no idea that the very first night, she would sneak into my brother's room, and by the next morning, she was screaming that he had assaulted her. Because of that, my brother missed the exam, and his reputation was ruined. When the school board found out, they expelled him. No other school would take him in. To keep me from getting involved in this mess at school, my parents had no choice but to let that roommate live with us. After that, she treated our home like her personal hotel: never lifting a finger, demanding that my parents wait on her every night, and even having them wash her feet. My brother dropped out and took up work at an illegal factory just to support her spending. Then one day, a machine crushed him at that factory. My parents, already exhausted and heartbroken, fell gravely ill and passed away soon after. I was consumed by hatred. In the end, I dragged the roommate who destroyed my family down into the flames with me. Even as I died, I still couldn't understand. What kind of bitter grudge did her family have against mine for her to ruin us like that? But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day she asked to come home with me…

“A man like me usually has patience. But with you, I’ve exhausted it all. Everyday, you leave me craving you, needing you in my bed like a mad man. Scarlet, what do you want from me?” He growled, staring deep into her green eyes. “Time.” She whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t have time!” His voice rumbled with slight annoyance and a hint of jealousy. “Your heart is torn between me and Brad, isn’t?” “Brad is my mate, my fated mate. And —“ “And who am I to you?” He pulled her closer to himself. “You’re mine, Scarlet. Every inch and depth of you is mine. And I won’t let that undeserving boy have you. May the best man win your heart.” ********************** Bullied and mocked her entire life, Scarlet always dreamed of the day she would find a mate. Someone to love and cherish her. But on her eighteenth birthday, she was rejected by the boy she was fated to love. Unusual red hair, awkward social life, and a complete nerd, she did not expect to be ever wanted again by anyone. But everything changed when she realized she was given a second chance mate–a lycan prince. Driven by jealousy, her first mate wants her back and the prince would rather die than let her go. Now desired by the two most powerful boys in college, what choice would she make? And how would she navigate her complex love life with them?

********** I lay helpless, tears streaming down my face, as Angelo ravished me. His pleasure was all that mattered. Afterward, I lay still, exhausted, covered in the scent of sex. Angelo caught his breath, his eyes cold and detached. "Today is our last night together," he said. "I want to end this marriage." I felt punched in the gut. "You're willing to throw away everything we've built?" I asked, my voice trembling. "It means nothing to me," Angelo spat, his eyes filled with hate. "I'm done with you, Annika.” ******** Annika's world is shattered when her husband, Angelo, cheats on her with his ex-girlfriend, Lissa, and demands a divorce, ending their four-year marriage. But there's a shocking twist: Annika is pregnant with Angelo's child, a secret she keeps hidden until the divorce is finalized. When Annika reveals her pregnancy, Angelo denies the child, and Lissa pressures her to abort the baby. But Annika refuses to give up, and with the help of Jonathan Blackwood Jr., she escapes to Los Angeles to start anew. Five years later, Annika has transformed into a successful CEO, fashion stylist, and entrepreneur. She's also a proud mother of twins. But her newfound success is fueled by a burning desire for revenge against Angelo and Lissa, who destroyed her life. When Annika confronts her past at a fashion exhibition in Germany, she's faced with a choice: forgive Angelo and Lissa for their betrayal or make them pay for the pain they inflicted. Will Annika choose revenge or redemption?

On Christmas Day, eight months pregnant, I struggled through the kitchen,cooking for my husband and his secretary. When I finally sat down, hoping to taste a piece of turkey I didn’t even get during Thanksgiving, my husband shoved me aside like I was nothing. He slid the turkey in front of his secretary instead. “Alison,you’re already so fat. Stop eating. Let Daisy have it—she deserves to enjoy your cooking.” Daisy，chewing on the turkey I had painstakingly prepared, had the audacity to mock me under the guise of playing truth or dare with my child. “So, what do you think your mom looks like?” “Mommy looks like a fat pig on a farm!” “Her stretch marks? They’re like disgusting worms crawling all over her. Even Santa would run for his life!” Their laughter erupted like daggers piercing me from all sides. Humiliation and rage burned through me as my dignity was stripped bare. I demanded an apology from that vile woman, but my husband—my husband!—turned his cold, cruel face toward me and said, “Get out of here.” Pregnant, exhausted, and humiliated, I stood there in shock. Then I snapped. I grabbed the Christmas cake and turkey and threw them in the trash. I walked out without looking back. This wretched family doesn’t deserve a second of my effort or a single ounce of my love!

My family was attacked by rogue wolves when we entered their territory. My wolf was gravely injured, and in the end, I was the one who saved everyone.
As I collapsed, exhausted, no one came to me—they all ran to my adopted sister, Fiona, fussing over a few shallow scratches.
By the time pack members carried me to the infirmary, the healer delivered the cruel news: my wolf had been struck by a silver dagger, and the one-month-old pup in my womb wouldn’t survive.
Yet my mate, Luke, had given the only life-saving treatment to Fiona. With no other choice, I refused the healer’s remedies and numbed my wolf’s pain with crude herbs—knowing it would only buy us three days before death.
In those last days, I let everything go. I gave Fiona all my possessions and insurance money while my parents smiled in approval. I signed the bond-severing agreement Luke slid across the table without a second thought. Luke was satisfied, believing I was considerate. Kane, my brother, nodded his head when I told him to give my room to Fiona.
Even my son, Jim, squealed with joy when I asked him to call her “mom.” No one questioned why I gave all my belongings to Fiona, and their approving gazes said it all: “Good. The old Emma is back. But as the clock ticked down, one thought haunted me:
When they find our bodies—my wolf and my unborn pup—will that satisfaction turn to regret?

By the time I return home from a business trip, it is past midnight. However, my wife, Celeste Beaumont, isn't home. A man's shirt that isn't mine is lying on the couch. When I call her, she tells me that she's working late at the office. "Whose shirt is it on the couch?" I ask, cutting straight to the point. She playfully scolds, "Who else would it be? It's a gift for you, so hurry up and try it on." I skeptically put it on and immediately feel how tight and uncomfortable it is across my shoulders. "This is an L, babe. I've always worn XL." Celeste runs a clothing company. She's the one who handles all my clothes and even uses my body measurements for her menswear line. There's no way she doesn't know my size. The line goes quiet for half a second before she thoughtfully says, "It's from my new menswear collection. "I had pieces custom-made for you and Felix, so I must've grabbed the wrong piece. I'll swap it tomorrow." A beat later, her voice carries a little sob as she continues, "Babe, I've been so exhausted without you these past few days. I've missed you so much…" It's past midnight. As I listen to the undeniable weariness beneath her affectionate, playful words, my heart aches in distress. I can't help chiding myself for overthinking. However, after hanging up, realization hits me. Her brother, Felix Beaumont, and I are about the same build. He's always worn XL.