Story About Esther

He’s my brother’s best friend. My father’s star player. And the one man I should never want. When my brother’s hockey team takes me in for a mandatory winter internship during the holiday season, I promised myself I’d stay invisible. Keep my head down, finish my internship, and steer clear of trouble. But trouble has a name—and it’s Liam Kane. He’s all sharp edges, wicked smirks, and muscles that make rational thoughts melt like snowflakes when the sun is out. A professional hockey player with a reputation for breaking hearts and rules alike. When one stolen kiss turns into nights tangled in his sheets, I know I’ve crossed the line. Because if my brother finds out—or worse, my dad, the team’s coach-Liam’s career and my future would both go up in flames. The rules were simple. No dating the players. No falling for him. Too bad I’m already pucked.

Our expedition team ventured into a desert wilderness to investigate rare mineral resources when we were suddenly struck by extreme heat that reached 158 °F. I nearly passed out from dehydration and quickly reached into my backpack for the electrolyte water I had prepared in advance. Just as I was about to drink it, I realized the bottle was half-filled with urine. When I turned around, I saw Ben Murphy, my wife’s childhood friend, gulping down my electrolyte water. As I was about to confront him, Amy Garner, my wife, grabbed my sleeve and said, “Don’t be mad. I gave Ben your electrolyte water. He’s almost dehydrated. You can make do with this for now.” My vision started to blur. Clutching the half-empty bottle of urine, I asked through gritted teeth, “I’m dehydrated. Instead of letting me rehydrate properly, you want me to drink this? Are you trying to kill me?” Amy was upset. “Don’t be ridiculous! Ben doesn’t work out daily like you do. He can’t handle this heat. Wasn’t it right to give him the electrolyte water? Besides, urine can hydrate you, too! Don’t be picky at a time like this.” Seeing how unreasonable she was being, I sent a distress signal with my location just before losing consciousness. [Severely dehydrated, near death. Expedition mission suspended. Request immediate rescue. Also reporting a robber in the team. Notify the police immediately.]

I go to the boutique my son has invested in to pick up the gown I've ordered for a banquet. Just as I'm about to leave, the manager, Wendy Reed, stops me and says that I still owe them money. She pulls out the bill. I look down at it and see that the boutique is charging me 300 thousand dollars for their creativity, 500 thousand dollars for fabric therapy, and one million dollars for their chief designer's mental wellness. On top of other expenses, the price totals up to two million dollars. I laugh incredulously and send a message to my secretary. "Withdraw our funding from my son's company and this boutique!"

After dating me for a decade, Alfred Rodriguez officially admitted that he was in a relationship with someone else. It was not me but a popular young actress.Exhilarated, their fans created an online buzz about their dating. I posted a diamond ring on my Facebook, announcing that I'm getting married. Alfred called me."Delete that post. Don't even think about forcing me to marry you in this way. I've just got my reputation in the entertainment circle and announced a relationship. I can't marry you now..." "Mr. Rodriguez, I'm marrying someone else. Come to my wedding party if you're free."I hung up. Alfred went mad. He called me countless times that night. On my wedding day, he turned up with red eyes and asked if I'd elope with him. What? How dare this guy seduce someone else's fiancée in public! What a pervert!

His first love barged into my office and stood before me, mocking, "He doesn't love you at all." I rolled my eyes. "I don't know whether he loves me, but I am Mrs. Brooke now. And who are you, exactly?" I was surprised that there was still someone so clueless in this day and age. Marriage was all about mutual benefit; the idea of love was downright ridiculous. To me, Noah was just a means to an end—a tool that would double my worth. I had never taken him seriously.

My husband was in the late stages of liver cancer. Afraid of dragging me down, he committed suicide by jumping into the river. I couldn’t swim, but I dove in after him without hesitation. To give him the will to live on, I told him about winning the lottery. He pretended to struggle but took the chance to shove me underwater, drowning me. Before I could rest in peace, he ran off abroad with his first love using my money. Only then did I realize that he had planned to fake his death all along just to get rid of me! When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he jumped into the river. You wanted to die, huh? Well, let me help you with that!

Edith adalah seorang tuan putri dari Kerajaan Middlemost yang merupakan kerajaan vampir terbesar di Land Of Most. Ia begitu menyukai sebuah buku tentang "manusia" yang ia temukan dalam perpustakaan kerajaan bertahun-tahun lalu. Edith berniat memberikan buku itu pada sahabat baiknya yang bernama Esther di acara pengukuhannya sebagai tuan putri. Tetapi saat ia mendatangi Esther, ia justru melihat sahabatnya tengah bercumbu dengan tunangannya, Rupert. Peristiwa mengejutkan nan menyakitkan itu dengan naasnya membawa Edith pada kematian yang paling menyedihkan. Namun secara ajaib, Edith tiba-tiba terbangun di tubuh seorang gadis SMP bernama Asteria yang merupakan tokoh utama dari buku favoritnya. Siapa sangka jika setelah kematiannya yang menyedihkan, ia kini terbangun dan hidup kembali? Apa yang harus dilakukan Edith pada kehidupan keduanya ini?

I've been with Shawn Turner for a decade. He doesn't give me the wedding he promised me. I'm about to propose to him after preparing for a year when I overhear him talking about me. "Rowena's like an out-of-season garment—there's nothing exciting about her. It'd be a waste to throw her out, but I also feel washed out with her." His friends tease him and warn him to be careful. He merely laughs carelessly and confidently. "Nothing will happen. Rowena can't live without me—she's liked me since we were kids, after all." He smugly pulls the young woman I sponsored close. They act intimately with each other. I look down at the diamond ring I've prepared for my proposal. Then, I go on a blind date and get into a flash marriage with someone else. Shawn's eyes are bloodshot when we next run into each other—he sees my pregnant belly. "Who gave you the nerve to cheat on me, Rowena?"

The new intern, Cynthia Joller, had posted about me online, claiming the company had made them use their leave for team building. No one wanted to fly all the way to an island to spend time with colleagues. However, what the internet did not know was that our company's team-building tradition involved booking a top-notch five-star resort every year: all-inclusive, family-friendly, with an extra three days of paid leave, and a $30,000 budget per person. The whole internet dubbed me a cold-blooded capitalist, so I decided to give in to their demands and issued a notice. [In response to employee feedback and to honor personal time, this year's team-building retreat has been canceled. Instead, a $500 allowance for personal travel will be provided.] The notice stirred up a commotion in the company. Long-time employees gathered at my office door, pleading for the return of the sunny Madiles retreat.

I am a normal human. When I realized that my werewolf boyfriend lied to me about being my fated mate, I got drunk and had a ONS with my hot new neighbor. It was the best sex ever, but I ran away the next morning because he is also a werewolf, which means he will also meet his REAL fated mate one day. Unexpectedly, I saw my new neighbor on TV, and he was actually a famous hockey star who publicly announced that he will only admit to an official relationship with his fated mate... Host: “Many of your fans want to know if you are still single...” Him: “No, I am not.” Him: “I’m about to start a relationship with my new neighbor...”