Swimming In The River

EXTRACT.... I felt a hand snuck behind my back and flicked my eyes open. Before I could realize it, I was sitting on Zain's lap facing him. How did I end up on his lap? I struggled to get down but he held my waist, making it hard for me to get up from his lap. "Zain, are you insane? Let me down." I screamed and he covered my mouth with his right hand. "Stop shouting, people will hear you." He said and I glared at him. He chuckled and pulled his hand away from my mouth. "I miss you, I have been thinking about you since morning." He said, his hot breath fanning my chest. I was not in for his game this midday so I struggled to get down but he would not let me. " Zain, I beg you let me go," I retorted to begging. "You did not hear what I said huh?" He asked, laughing at me with his eyes. "I heard you but please can you let me down, anyone can see you or your wife can even walk through at any moment," I tried to reason with him but it looked like his demons were at work. "You know, I am suddenly horny and I want to get you under me. That's the only way I can let you go. I want to have you right here right now." . . . Loving can be hard especially in cases where the person you are loving is unreachable. That's the situation Jenny Thompson found herself in, in love with her ex, Zain Zidat, who is now married to her sister, Susan. With both being under the same roof, can the heart stop going for what it wants? Find out in this story of love and betrayal. *BOOK 1*

Si Dravis Salazar ay ipinagkasundong ipakasal sa unica hija ng mga Gomez may limang buwan na ang nakalilipas. Kapwa galing sa mayamang pamilya sa bayan ng San Simon ang dalawa ngunit isang eskandalo ang sisira sa reputasyon ng pamilya ni Dravis, dahilan upang apihin siya ng mga Gomez. Lahat ay kaniyang gagawin para ipaglaban ang pag-iibigang tunay nila ni Calista, ang babaeng noon ay ipinagkasundo lang sa kaniya. Ngunit sapat nga ba iyong dahilan para manatili siya o kailangan niya munang lumisan para makapaghanda sa totoong laban? All rights reserved 2022.

Choosing to live independently in a highly urbanized city is a decision Latisha Thaviya Fallarco made at such a young age. Despite her parents prohibitions, she still managed to convince them by performing well in academics. She wanted to attend parties, get drunk and dance in the club, go shopping, and explore neighboring cities. She wanted to live her life to the fullest in the place she considered the best. Yet, she never saw the coming of an incident that would end that kind of lifestyle. She was forced to leave and be with her family. Latisha thought that living in a province would be hard for her, but she was wrong. In a particular town in Iloilo Province, she found her true home. Ps. This story is written in Filipino and English.

Tall, dark, and gorgeous with cobalt-blue eyes. It doesn’t hurt that he’s the billionaire owner of the resort we’re staying at. And all of it is just what I needed for my celebration weekend after graduating with my master’s. It’s our last girls’ weekend before my friends and I go our separate ways, and it’s going to happen with a bang. Literally. Hopefully. It would be a first. The desire was to keep things casual, but our connection is far too deep for that. Him being ex-military and me being an Army brat. The rules we each set up are shattered thanks to the raging passion between us. But eventually, I have to go home. What I never expected in a million years was that he might follow me. Enough swimming in the shallow end of the pool. We’re diving in deep.

Ruby grew up sad for most of her life. Born into a society where beauty standards were seen as slender and tall, she felt low self esteem her entire life. Her family even made matters worse by ridiculing her each day, and comparing her with her younger sister. Her wolf despised her, accusing Ruby of trapping her in a fat body. She always tried to comfort herself that she wasn't fat but chubby, but no one saw her that way. After being rejected and betrayed by her boyfriend, her family, instead of comforting her, blamed her that it was her fault that he left. “You are too fat and ugly.” Her mother spat at Ruby with a look of disdain. “No man would ever want you.” Ruby wiped her tears, making a decision to transform her shape into what would be accepted. However, while she is on the journey of body transformation, she comes across a stranger who looks at her in a way that no one ever did. He didn't think she was worthless and everything about her seemed perfect in his eyes. Would Ruby give this man a chance to love her, or is she too broken to see her worth?

That very night, she had lost everything, her parents and her sight, her life was no longer normal. It was a blur, a lonely blur. Autumn always thought her life was on repeat after her sight was taken away from her. She had no one but her best friend and the man that came and changed her life. Never in her life, she would've thought that someone would want to share their life with a blind woman like her. But there he was, Michael Adams, a rich well-known CEO. A man that has women worshipping the floor that he walks on. "He could've chosen any woman," she thought, but on that particular day, when his car almost ran her over. He chose her. He chose a blind woman. He chose Autumn Alexis

I decided to cut all ties with Julia Summers. She said she was busy with work, so I quietly packed my suitcase in our bedroom. Then she brought her so-called true love, Henry Stone, home. Right then and there, I asked for a divorce. In my past life, I’d poured my heart and soul into this family and nearly drained every last bit of our savings. Even then, on my fortieth birthday, my own children knelt before me, begging me to let Julia’s dying lover be buried in the Summers Estate. I looked at Julia and said, "You once told me you’d only ever love me. Have you really forgotten?" Her eyes turned red. "I’ll stay with you," she said, her voice trembling. "But Henry just wants a name. Why would you hold a grudge against someone who’s dying?" When I opened my eyes again, I was twenty-five. This time, I’d give them what they wanted and finally give myself what I deserved.

My husband, Alex Walter, was the head of the Bodyguard Association. When I was about to be killed by the kidnappers, he was comforting his childhood crush, Susan Miller, who was sobbing in his arms. While the kidnappers stopped for a meal, I called Alex five times calmly. He was angry when he finally answered. "Susan was just rescued from the kidnappers, and she needs me. If you want me to come home, stop using your own kidnapping as some excuse to compete for attention. It is pathetic!" Hearing Susan's sweet and delicate voice in the background, I had no time to argue with him. Instead, I called the Bodyguard Association. The operator informed me that Alex had pulled all the city's bodyguards away thirty minutes earlier to rescue Susan. When the kidnappers returned, they mocked Alex's heroic efforts to save Susan, mobilizing the entire force for her. If I remember correctly, this was Susan's twenty-eighth kidnapping this month. As the kidnappers approached me with guns and tasers, I closed my eyes in despair. Before I died, I used all my strength to send Alex one last text message, [No matter what, I loved you. Move on from me.]

On our wedding night, my husband didn't stay long enough to toast with champagne. He left me alone at the reception and retreated to the chapel. Because from the very beginning, this stoic, untouchable man had only ever loved my younger sister. For three years of my marriage, I poured myself into thawing a heart of stone, only to be met with glacial silence. "Claire," he said coldly, "I'd rather take vows of celibacy than ever love you." But when the truck came barreling toward me, the man who had resented me his entire life used his own body to shield mine. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw him gripping the paramedic's sleeve, blood staining his lips. "Don't tell that crazy woman who saved her… And don't let my family… make things difficult for her." Tears welled in my eyes. Only then did I realize I wasn't the only one at fault in this marriage. After coming back to life, I chose to join the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces and head straight to the front lines. If we were never meant to grow old together in this life, then let my final wish for him be this: A lifetime of peace, and an eternity of never crossing paths with me again.

Wendy staggered forward at the hospital entrance. She held the Seventy Thousand Dollars she had received for selling her kidney. Her pale face carried a satisfied smile. That was enough to cure Lucas. She thought it was worthy to sell off her kidney for his life. She ignored her post-surgery weakness, and stumbled all the way to the hospital ward. Her heart ached even more as she looked at the frail man lying in bed. "Lucas, your lowly girlfriend is not around. Why put on a show?" "Shut up! I'm perfecting my acting. How else could I fool her?" A familiar, teasing voice came from inside. Wendy's hand froze on the door handle. What did he mean... by fooling her? Laughter and exclamations erupted from the room. "You're smart, Lucas! A fake medical report was all it took to make that woman believe you had cancer!" "I heard she handed over all her savings; all she had was only Eight Thousand Dollars!" "Eight Thousand Dollars? Lucas could simply spend more than that on a single bottle of liquor at the bar. Her money is worthless, yet she actually offers it."