Taken With A Grain Of Salt

The day before the piano competition finals, my boyfriend deliberately locked me on the rooftop to help his childhood friend win. He stared at me intently, his voice low and steady. "You'll have plenty more chances. Can't you just let her have this one?" Later, to secure her spot in the orchestra, he went so far as to break my fingers with his own hands. I confronted him in anger, demanding to know why he would do this when we were supposed to be in a relationship. He looked at me solemnly and said, "Susan, Miranda's mother saved me all those years ago, and now I have to fulfill this wish for her." What he didn't understand was that for me, losing the use of my hands felt like losing my very life. After I made the decision to stop loving him, he shattered his own hand, hoping to get my forgiveness.

“Landon is here?” Mabel asked, turning to look behind her, a frown forming on her face. “Are you stalking me? Huh?” She asked drunkenly and made to climb down from the stool, but she missed her footing and fell toward Landon who instinctively caught her in his arms. Upon realizing what he had done, Landon suddenly pushed her away from his body like he had touched a bag of filth, making her fall to the ground on her butt. “Ouch!” She winced as her butt came in contact with the hard floor. Landon felt a pang of pity for her but quickly masked it. Such a shameless woman isn't worth his sympathy. She was married, yet she was drunk at a bar, flirting with a random guy. ******* What happens if your wedding was never about love but about settling an old score? Mabel never wanted an arranged marriage, but honoring her father’s dying wish left her no choice. On her wedding day, her groom, Landon Ferguson, didn’t bother to show up only sending someone in his place. Humiliated and furious, she swore never to forgive him. As the truth behind their arranged marriage comes to light, Mabel realizes too late some debts demand more than just a name on a marriage certificate. Some demand a sacrifice.

Sophia Carter has spent her entire life sacrificing her dreams to support a family that never valued her. With a terminally ill narcissistic mother and a selfish brother who sees her only as a source of support, she is on the brink of financial and emotional collapse. When every door seems to close, an unexpected proposal arises: a marriage of convenience with Alexander Hawthorne, the ruthless magnate who embodies everything she fears… and everything her heart insists on desiring. Alexander is known for his coldness and relentless mistrust, especially towards women. To him, everyone has a price, and Sophia is no different. She will be just another piece in his game: the perfect wife to maintain appearances and ensure the stability of his business. He doesn’t want love, nor intimacy. Much less does he intend to share a bed with her. But as Sophia and Alexander become entangled in this dangerous agreement, lines are crossed, secrets are revealed, and the desire they both struggle to deny threatens to ignite the icy facade they’ve built. In a world where everything seems to be a transaction, how far will they go to protect what’s left of their souls? A story of passion, power, and unyielding boundaries, where even the coldest hearts can be broken… or saved.

Kahit halos hindi na makatayo sa kalasingan ay agad na pumunta si Maya sa dance floor at doon ay parang wala sa sariling umindak sa tugtugin. Ito ang paborito nilang kanta ng ate niya. Napaluha siya, at napaupo sa sahig, hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin niya ito kayang kalimutan. Pakiramdam niya ay siya nalang ang nag iisang tao sa mundo. "Miss, are you okay?" boses ng isang lalaki Tumingala siya rito habang inaabot nito sa kanya ang isang panyo. "Ate Riza?" hilam sa luhang tawag niya rito.

In a society where only the rich keep getting richer, chasing a dream is a luxury Reya Fernandez has never been able to afford. At 27, she’s her family’s breadwinner—carrying burdens far beyond her years, constantly setting herself aside as life throws one dilemma after another. But when she’s unjustly suspended from work, stuck in a dead end with her family’s needs piling high, Reya finally decides she’s had enough. She goes on a vacation. Hesitant but determined to take charge of her life, Reya sets out to breathe—for once. What she doesn't expect is to stumble upon fate's game, giving her life an unexpected 'Splash of Colour'.

Sena Allisa McMillan wants to reclaim her lost life and identity. To do that, she needs to unveil the secrets hidden in the past. After her parents met their tragic end, she had no choice but to be a daytime businesswoman and a nighttime fighter in the City of Chaos — La Vezque City — to finally find out the truth she longed for. Helping her with the venture towards the truth, Leviathan Langley, a callous man who craves love and freedom, became her catalyst. Little did they know, to fight with the two organizations that governed the City will lead them to a dark and heart-rending past that will scar them both.

The intern my husband brings home feeds our son hard liquor. My husband merely says I'm making a mountain out of a molehill when he finds out. Ultimately, our son dies. After his death, I leave the country to be with my parents. That's when my husband regrets everything.

Natalie Waesmer feels suffocated by her situation. Her abusive ex-boyfriend, Vesper Stout, has isolated her and almost driven her to the brink of insanity, controlling her life as if she were his puppet. Despite her attempts to break up with him and even moving to hide, Vesper refuses to accept no for an answer and always finds her, dragging her back into his grip. With no other options, her childhood friend and billionaire, Lars Laurent, offers quite the bold solution: marriage. A contract marriage. Will this marriage be enough to deter her relentless ex-boyfriend? And is Natalie prepared for the risks and dangers it entails?

When my four sons were finally old enough for preschool, I arrived at the school office with my marriage certificate and their birth certificates, ready to sign them up. But the lady at the counter frowned and said, "These documents don't check out. According to the system, your kids don't even exist." I felt as if the floor had dropped out from under me. I remembered when Sheldon Clem and I got married—he was the one who handled all the paperwork, the birth registrations, everything. I never imagined that when I tracked him down with our four boys, he'd be holding his childhood sweetheart in his arms, with her little girl snuggled against him. And then we heard him sweet-talking her right in front of us. "Don't be mad, babe. I've got everything set up for us overseas. Gigi is going to the most expensive private school, and you'll be living in the nicest penthouse downtown. "Sure, she gave me four sons, but all my love and money are with you. I only kept her around because I felt sorry for her. "What else do you need? My will's already signed. Everything goes to you and Gigi." Riley Anderson pouted, smug and satisfied. "If you don't love her, then she's the other woman, not me. She's got no right to fight me for anything!" So he never went bankrupt. When we got back home, Sheldon acted as if nothing had happened. "Honey, I've found this amazing project overseas, so I won't have time to come home much. I'll need you to hold down the fort at home." I smiled and nodded. "Sure, go ahead." If that was how he wanted to play this, then fine. I'd make sure he really went broke, and then I'd find my boys a new father.

Moving to a new town. Getting my first job. Life was just getting into a smooth start until I bumped into him. What's worst than bumping into an arrogant rich guy? Being his personal secretary? NO! It's being his personal SLAVE!!!