Story About Pride

The day before New Year's, my younger brother announced he was bringing his girlfriend home for dinner. Excited, I drove my new car to pick them up, taking my daughter along with me. However, as soon as his girlfriend got in the car, her face darkened. "Henry, you didn't tell me your sister was staying at your place—and with a kid!" she snapped. I frowned and was about to explain when my brother quickly interjected, "She's not staying. After dropping us off, she'll be heading to a hotel." Only then did his girlfriend's expression ease. I swallowed my discomfort and asked my brother what he was planning. He leaned in with a conspiratorial grin and said, "Sis, don't cause any trouble for me, okay? My girlfriend is the daughter of the Cromwell Group's CEO!" My eyes widened in shock. Was not the Cromwell Group the same company my ex-husband had just handed over to me as part of our divorce settlement?

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...”

She was a Rogue with a buried past. He was a Crowned Alpha with everything to lose. But fate has its own cruel plans. Alera only wanted a quiet life—far from the world that once turned her childhood into ashes. But her unexpected reunion with Rayvan—the arrogant Alpha who once shattered her pride—awakens the scars she thought she had buried for good. Rayvan never imagined his mate would be a lonely, poor, insignificant girl. A Rogue? To someone of noble blood like him, that’s the ultimate disgrace. Alera swore she would never fall for his charm. Rayvan, too, fights the bond with pride and bitterness. But one by one, the veils of truth begin to fall—about Alera, about the Bloodveil Pack, the most powerful in Moonvale… and about who Alera truly is. Can they defy a fate neither of them asked for, or will they be trapped in a bond written by blood and vengeance?

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!"

I am the orphaned hybrid of a vampire and a werewolf. After my parents died, I was sent to the Silvermoon Pack, taken in by a distant relative on my father's side. They had three sons—triplets—each carrying the noble Alpha bloodline. In public, they were the epitome of grace and charm. But behind closed doors, they were my living nightmare. They despised me. To them, my blood was a stain, my existence a mistake. But in their world, I was more than just an outcast—I was prey. They made a bet: who would be the first to have me? To them, it wasn't just about desire. It was about possession, control. A way to chain me to them, to turn me into their plaything. They drugged me and watched as I collapsed at their feet, powerless, theirs to toy with as they pleased. In the end, they ruined me. Smeared my name until the whole pack sneered at me. Then came the bonfire festival. They tricked me away from the crowd and threw me into a pit—a collapsed silver mine, its air thick with toxic silver dust. Torches rained down, their flames licking at the walls, while the silver seeped into my body. It poisoned me slowly. Bit by bit, my body unraveled. And finally, my consciousness dissolved into the dark. But when I opened my eyes again, everything had reset. I had returned to the beginning. One of the triplets, Reine, smirked as he leaned in, his voice laced with amusement. "Ayla, what a beautiful name. May I invite you to the bonfire festival?" The bonfire festival? Of course. This time, let's make it your last night.

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!

It all began with a single post about canceling a food delivery order. Overnight, I became the internet's punching bag. Thousands of vicious messages flooded my inbox, filled with photoshopped memorials urging me to die. They doxxed my family, plastered my personal details across shady websites, and used AI to create obscene images of me, spreading them in vile chat groups. They spread lies about my income, claiming it came from illicit sources, and accused me of carrying diseases. I didn't call the police or block the messages. Instead, I read every hateful word before singling out the 100 worst offenders. Every day, I sent each one a luxurious meal: Boston lobster, Australian wagyu, the works. Each delivery came with a simple note: [Thank you for your hard work.]

“เขต ปล่อยเนียร์นะ เจ็บ!!” “นี่ไง อาณาเขตที่เธออยากได้นักหนา!! นี่ไงซาเนียร์!!!” “เนียร์ ไม่ได้…ฮึก! ปล่อยนะ!!” “วันนั้นเธอเสนอตัวมาให้ฉันเอาถึงห้อง!! ยังบอกว่าไม่ใช่หรือไง!!!” เพียะ!!!!! ฝามือเล็กๆของซาเนียร์ฟาดลงบนหน้าหล่อๆของอาณาเขตเต็มแรง “เขตเคยฟังเนียร์มั้ยว่าเกิดอะไรขึ้น ฮึก!” “คงเกิด!! เกิดอยากได้ฉันจนตัวสั่นไง!” “ว่าไงนะ” “เธอจำไว้ ว่าเธอกล้าทำฉันเจ็บ เธอต้องเจ็บกว่าฉันเป็นร้อยเท่า!” “……” ชายหนุ่มเดินออกจากคอนโดของหญิงสาวไปด้วยความโมโห เขาเจ็บเจียนตายสาเหตุมาจากผู้หญิงคนนี้ เพราะเธอ ความรักของเขาต้องพังลงจนไม่เหลือชิ้นดี

“ ถ้าเลือกเกิดได้ ก็อยากเกิดมาเหมาะสมกับเธอมากกว่านี้ ในฐานะที่ไม่ใช่พี่ชาย“ หนุ่มหล่อโสดมาดดี แววตามีแต่ความอบอุ่น ผู้ชายที่สุภาพและพูดเพราะคนนี้ เขาคือคนที่เธอเรียกว่าพี่ชายมาตลอดชีวิต “พี่ไทจะไปไหนคะ? ไม่นอนที่บ้านเหรอคะ?” “คืนนี้พี่มีนัดวันเกิดเพื่อนครับ ว่าจะนอนที่คอนโด” “แล้วใครจะไปส่งน้องไปเรียนละคะถ้าพี่ไทไม่อยู่” “พี่บอกคุณพ่อไว้แล้วครับ พรุ่งนี้คุณพ่อจะไปส่งหนูครับ” “ทำไมพี่ไทไปเที่ยวดึกๆได้ ทำไมหนูไปไม่ได้คะ ไม่ยุติธรรมเลยอ่ะ” “หนูยังเด็กนะโมลิน” “โตแล้วค่ะ โตจนมีแฟนได้แล้วค่ะ อุ๊บ!” “โมลิน ไหนพูดอีกทีซิว่ามีแฟน?” “อุ้ย! พี่ไทน่ากลัว ไปหาคุณแม่ดีกว่า” “เฮ้อ”

ความถูกต้องกับความรักมักสวนทางกันเสมอ... ในเมื่อเลือกใครไม่ได้ ก็รักมันไปทั้งสองคนนั่นแหละ!