Ta Wan Birthday Treat

Pangarap ni Mavie na makatanggap ng birthday cake, buong-buo at walang bawas ang icing. Mahirap ang kanilang pamilya ngunit nagagawa ng kanilang magulang, kapwa magsasaka, ang patapusin sila sa pag-aaral. Matalik na magkaibigan mula pagkabata sina Hugo at Mavie sa kabila ng magkaiba ang estado ng kanilang buhay. Nag-aaral ng political science si Hugo sa bayan at nangangarap magtrabaho sa gobyerno. Samantala, nag-aaral naman ng engineering si Mavie sa kanilang baryo na nangangarap na maipa-renovate ang kanilang kubo. Isang kalihim ng samahang ARC (Arts with Responsibilities Creatives) si Mavie. Sa tulong ng kanyang kaibigang si Salome, namulat siya sa paglilingkod sa kolehiyo. Ang mga dokumento ng samahan na maingat niyang hinahawakan ang magiging susi ng pagmulat ng kanyang mga mata sa totoong takbo ng kolehiyo, maging ang iba pang organisasyong humaharap sa mala-butas ng karayom sa pagre-request ng budget ng mga gaganaping programa para sa mga kapwa estudyante. Samantala, ang pangarap na birthday cake ni Mavie para sa kanyang sarili ang magiging pinto ng kanyang tadhana upang hanapin ng kanyang puso ang lubos na sinisinta. Ito ay sa kabila ng mga kinakaharap ng mga pagsubok sa gitna ng tagumpay.

Si Savannah George "Sage" Valencia ay nag-iisang anak at tagapagmana. Sa gitna ng karangyahan ay mas gusto nitong mabuhay nang simple at kumawala sa luho. Matatag din ang pangarap nitong maging isang sikat na pintor at talikuran ang negosyong kailanman ay hindi pumukaw sa kanyang puso. Ngunit nagbago ang lahat ng kanyang plano nang maakusahang mamamatay tao ang kanyang mga magulang. Sa takot na makulong ang mga ito, at kahit labag sa puso niya ay um-oo siyang pakasalan ang magaling na abogado ng kabilang partido upang ito mismo ang bumitaw at magpatalo. Alam niya sa sarili niyang ayaw niya sa lalaki lalo na ang pagtitig nito sa kanya nang malalim at pagngisi. Alam niyang pagpapanggap lamang ang pinapakita nito sa kanya at ang kanilang yaman ang habol nito kung kaya't siya na mismo ang umiiwas at tumatakas. Ngunit paano kung ang isang Atty. Delton Carancho lang din ang kayang sumuporta sa pangarap niya at magbigay ng kanyang kalayaan? At paano kung ang lalaki lang din ang kakayaning manatili sa tabi niya? Maibibigay kaya ni Savannah ang hiling nitong maging isang mabuting maybahay o pikit-matang hihiling ng hiwalayan?

After twenty-five years of trying to win over Gus Harding, I failed and died by his hand. But he didn't know that. He kept threatening, demanding I show myself immediately. The real heiress slapped him hard. "Genevieve is dead, and you didn't even care enough to see her one last time." Gus scoffed, claiming it was just another one of my tricks. Only when he saw my cold, lifeless body did he finally understand. I was gone for good. And this time, it drove him mad.

This is a story of two close friends (Courtney and Judy) and the odds that meet them as soon as Courtney turns 18. They hope for a bright future together but have no clue on things that are yet to unfold in their lives.

By our sixth year of marriage, Derrick hadn't touched me in three months. Said he was swamped at work. Always tired. After everything, I still believed him. Then on my birthday, I caught his friend talking in Garmenian—a language Derrick didn't think I understood. "You cut off the side piece yet? You were with her nonstop. Surprised you didn't drop dead. Your wife cool with that?" Derrick let out a smoke ring. "Haven't touched Audrey in months. Sabrina's insane in bed—I'm not over her yet. Sucks she got pregnant. Audrey doesn't want kids, so I gave Sabrina some cash. She'll have the baby overseas." My hands curled into fists. Silent tears streamed down my face. He glanced over, nervous. "What's wrong?" I smiled. "The cake you made is amazing. I'm really touched." It was sweet—but when you understand Garmenian, all you taste is betrayal.

On my birthday, the dining table was loaded with all my favorites. My mom had been cooking and baking the entire afternoon, insisting everything be perfect for when Mike got home from work so we could celebrate together. But then, he called and said his first love had been drugged at a bar, and he had to go help her. I stopped him and begged him not to go. Mike snapped at me. "Jesus, Em, don’t pull this jealous wife crap. She’s alone, defenseless, and unconscious—I can't let some random dude take advantage of her!" My mother heard those words and was so enraged that she had a heart attack. She died on the spot. Just like that, my mom died on my birthday. I called Mike, asking him to attend my mom's funeral. But before he could reply, I saw Cathy Miller's latest Instagram post, captioned: [Mikey… after all these years, it was always you.] Mike had liked it. My thumb moved before my brain caught up, typing out the only words that mattered: [A homewrecker and a lying bastard. Hope you rot together.]

Celebrating your birthday means you acknowledge your existence as a human here on earth. But what if your special day in life turns into nightmare that haunts you forever? What would you do? Kimberly Jade Quesada loves to celebrate her birthday every year eversince she was a child. Lahat halos ng gusto niyang regalo ay nakukuha niya magmula sa mga damit, gadgets at kahit na ang presensya ng kanyang mga magulang na abala sa trabaho ay nagagawa siyang paglaanan ng oras sa kanyang kaarawan. Ito ang petsa na palagi niyang inaabangan kada taon kung saan nakukuha niya ang lahat at nararamdaman niya ang pagmamahal ng mga taong nakapalibot sa kanya. Pero paano kung ang mismong petsa na minamahal-mahal niya ay unti-unting maglaho at mapalitan ng pagkamuhi at pagkasuklam? Anong gagawin niya? "No matter how many times we argue, I still think that you are the best and will always be the greatest mom here on earth," saad ko kasabay ng pagdausdos ng luha sa gilid ng mga mata ko. "Open your eyes for me, Hyacinth. Mama, hayaan mo naman akong makabawi sayo," pakiusap ko pa habang nakayapos sa malamig at nababahiran ng dugo niyang katawan. She loves to celebrate birthdays not until binawi ng langit ang dalawang regalong ibinigay sa kanya.

I secretly ordered a delivery of a thousand roses for my wife's birthday, hoping to surprise her. After the delivery was completed, I got a message from the delivery guy. [By the way, I tossed the trash by your door on my way out. Didn't expect you to be so kinky. Good for you, man!] He even sent me a photo. In the picture was an open trash bag stuffed with shredded pantyhose. My mind went completely blank. I was overseas on a business trip. My wife was the only one at home.

À Paris, Léana, danseuse de cabaret, vit dans la lumière des projecteurs et l’ombre des secrets. Chaque soir, elle enfile ses robes satinées, joue avec le regard des hommes et cache ses blessures derrière des pirouettes et des sourires mesurés. Mais sa vie bascule le soir où une mystérieuse enveloppe change tout : un homme riche et inconnu, Adrian, lui demande de danser… pour lui seul, dans le silence et sans contact. Adrian, blessé par un passé qu’il dissimule derrière l’obscurité, ne voit plus le monde avec ses yeux. Il “voit” avec ses autres sens : le souffle, le parfum, le mouvement. Quand Léana danse pour lui, il perçoit sa vérité, sa fragilité et sa force, comme si chaque geste racontait son âme. La rencontre de ces deux êtres fêlés devient un jeu dangereux d’interdits, de désir et de fascination. Léana, qui pensait tout connaître de sa séduction, découvre l’obsession d’Adrian et la puissance du silence. Et Adrian, qui croyait être seul dans sa solitude, se surprend à dépendre de la présence fragile mais brûlante de cette danseuse. Au fil des rendez-vous nocturnes, leur lien devient une danse intime et envoûtante, où chaque regard absent, chaque geste silencieux, chaque souffle partagé devient une promesse et une chaîne. Mais les secrets du passé, la peur de se perdre et les règles imposées par Adrian menacent de transformer cette passion en prison. Sous ta peau, mes chaînes est une histoire de désir, de vulnérabilité et de puissance, où l’érotisme se mêle à la tension psychologique et où la découverte de l’autre devient la seule musique qui compte.

« Suzanne, tu n'as pas le sang pur et ne mérites pas d'être la Luna. Tu dois faire en sorte qu'Eugène marque ta belle-sœur ! » Étant une louve Oméga au sang impur, ma belle-mère, Pauline, me méprisait. Eugène était mon mate. Le jour où son frère est décédé dans un accident, Pauline lui a exigé qu'il conçoive un enfant avec Karine, sa belle-sœur noble, sous peine de le priver de son titre d'Alpha. Eugène m'a prise dans ses bras et m'a rassurée d'une voix douce : « Je n'ai d'yeux que pour toi, mais la meute ne peut pas se passer d'un Alpha. Une fois tout ceci terminé, je proclamerai que tu es ma vraie Luna, d'accord ? » Je l'aimais tellement que j'ai cru à ses paroles. Mais voilà… Eugène, qui ne partageait le lit de Karine qu'une nuit par mois, a fini par ne plus venir me voir qu'une fois par mois. Alors, j'ai compris, le cœur brisé, qu'il n'était plus le compagnon qui m'appartenait exclusivement. Le jour où Karine a annoncé qu'elle était enceinte, la nouvelle de son mariage avec Eugène s'est répandue dans tout la meute, mais elle me l'avait cachée. En voyant la bague éclatante sur le doigt de Karine, celle qui appartenait à la Luna de la meute, j'avais le cœur brisé en mille morceaux. Une douleur insupportable m'a pris à la gorge. Eugène, si c'était ce que tu voulais, alors je feindrais ma mort et partirais pour ne jamais revenir.