Text Symbol Aesthetic

Susanne Doyle, my wife who's a general manager, often travels to Havenport on business trips. When she comes home, she either has cuts on her mouth or bruises on her thighs. Whenever I ask her about those injuries, she always claims that she accidentally tripped and fell after getting drunk. On our third wedding anniversary, I find out that Susanne has already formed another family in Havenport. At the moment, she's nestling into another man's arms, looking very alluring and seductive. A few of her mentees sit around her and her beau as they start cheering on them. "Now that your fiance has accepted your marriage proposal, does that mean you're about to buy strawberry donuts to celebrate this occasion tonight, Susanne?" The moment I hear the words "marriage proposal", I feel thunderstruck. Susanne begins making out passionately with her new fiance, Stanley Quinn, the next moment. As I watch the loving scene unfold before my eyes, I feel as though my heart has just gotten dunked into icy waters. At the doorway, I happen to bump into Stanley, the very same man who had embraced Susanne earlier. With Susanne's mentees flanking behind him, he drags me into the washroom before punching me in the face. "Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you ogle my fiancee! Are you the one who has been harassing her through text messages? "Here's a warning for you—Susanne is my lover! If I ever see you trying to pull any tricks on her, I'll show you a world of pain!" Stanley then waves a hand. The other mentees begin roughing me up with punches and kicks. "This is just a small warning for you." He doesn't know that I'm Susanne's legal husband, much less the fact that I'm the sole reason behind her ability to snag the position as the general manager.

I, Cassidy Stanford, am on a graduation trip with my childhood best friend, Randell Lautner. Just as we plan to return home, he suddenly extends my hotel stay for another week. When I want to ask him why, a barrage of comments suddenly appears before my eyes. "Run, Randy! Don't let Cassidy stop you anymore! Don't you know that Evie did poorly in her exams, and she's about to be married off to a random bald guy by her own parents? Run! It's urgent! Go save her now!" "That's right! If it weren't for that wicked woman using her childhood friendship bond to manipulate Randy the whole time, Randy and Evie would have been together a long time ago! Cassidy is such a horrible person!" "In the original story, Cassidy cried and threw a huge fuss after finding out that Randy was leaving her. She even threatened suicide to make him stay with her, which ultimately caused poor Evie to be forced into marrying Baldy! And Randy hated her so much after that he began getting revenge on her! "Hah, just wait and see, Cassidy! She will soon get what she deserves! Randy will eventually torture her until she turns into a madwoman! It's going to be so satisfying!" "That's a pity, though. I know that we're just following the script here and that Randy eventually has his revenge, but I really, really hate the evil side character so much! Cassidy was the one who ruined Evie's life! Who does she think she is?" Me? The evil side character? While I am still confused by everything, I suddenly receive a text message from Randell. "Cassie, I have an urgent matter, and I need to leave first. But don't worry. I've already extended your hotel stay for another week. "Behave yourself and don't kick up a fuss with me." What?

Four years ago, at my mating ceremony with Alpha Damien, a witch publicly prophesied: "The powerful Alpha will betray the mate bond." Damien unleashed a terrifying wave of Alpha dominance on the spot, forcing the witch to her knees. He gripped my hand tightly and declared before the entire pack that I was his one and only mate. For three years of our marriage, he was flawless—devoted, attentive, beyond reproach. Until a year ago, when he was gravely wounded during a border patrol and rescued by a stunningly beautiful rogue Omega named Selene. Selene fell for Damien at first sight. She even knelt at his feet in front of me, crying: "I don't want anything in return. Just let me stay near you—I'd be your mistress with no title if that's what it takes." Damien shoved her away without hesitation and coldly ordered her placed at the edge of the territory, never allowing her within arm's reach. In that moment, I trusted him completely. I believed our mate bond was unbreakable. Selene asked seductively. "Alpha, who's better in bed—me, or your dignified little Luna? Your cock fucks me so good every time." Damien's low, ragged breathing filled the audio. He slapped her ass and warned coldly: "Don't get ideas above your station. Elena is my only Luna. You're just a bitch I use to blow off steam." Selene pouted with a coy whine: "I'll happily be your bitch as long as you keep fucking me." The video ended. Immediately after, an anonymous text popped up: "You sit in the Luna's seat. I'm in the Alpha's bed. Now we're even." I sat there all night, silently printing out a termination agreement for our mate bond. Since that's how it is, then I'll grant your wish. But after I left, the powerful Alpha went mad.

Mhiya Anne, 17 years old, is a hardworking high school student juggling studies and work in the public market just to survive. Wala na siyang pamilya — mag-isa na lang siya sa buhay. Pero isang gabi, sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari, nabuntis siya ng kaklase niya matapos ang isang gabing di niya maalala—isang gabing lasing siya at walang matandaan. Pinatira siya ng pamilya ng lalaking nakabuntis sa kanya. Sa una, mabait. Pero nang mailabas ang anak niya, nagsimula ang totoong hirap. Pinilit siyang magtrabaho muli dalawang buwan pa lang ang nakakalipas mula sa panganganak, para raw “makabawi.” Ang mas masakit, ang ama ng kanyang anak may iba na — at never siyang pinanindigan. Hanggang sa isang araw, tumanggap siya ng text na bumasag sa puso niya: *“Dinala na namin sa ospital ang anak mo. Mataas ang lagnat. Maghanda ka ng malaking pera. Hindi kami magbabayad pang hospital ng anak mo. Kulang pa ang binibigay mo kada linggo.”* Luhaan siyang tumakbo sa ospital kahit walang-wala. Pero huli na ang lahat. Hindi na niya inabutan ang anak niya nang buhay. Doon gumuho ang buong pagkatao niya. Ang nag-iisa niyang dahilan para mabuhay… nawala. At sa araw ding ‘yon, wala na rin siyang dahilan para lumaban — hanggang sa isang hindi inaasahang babae ang lumapit sa kanya. Si Lorainne Montemayor. At isang alok ang magbabago sa buhay niya **Lorenzo Montemayor**, 30 years old. Gwapo. Matalino. Mayaman. Kilala sa mundo ng negosyo. Pero sa likod ng tagumpay ay isang pusong sugatan — iniwan ng kanyang long-time childhood fiancée, na nag loko pa at hindi kayang panindigan ang kanilang anak. Ayaw ng babae sa responsibilidad, iniwan ang lahat kay Lorenzo. Dalawang magkaibang mundo. Dalawang magkaibang sugat. Pero iisang dahilan kung bakit sila natutong lumaban — **ang kanilang anak.**

I, Daphne Thorn, am an impoverished woman from the slums. William Blackburn, on the other hand, is the son of the richest man in Wylland. Unexpectedly, the two of us who share such vastly different identities end up being together. So far, we've tried out various difficult positions in our bouts of passion during our secret rendezvouses in secluded areas. Like the madman he is, William often torments me in every session. I'm so exhausted that I'm about to fall asleep. That's when a notification pops up on William's phone, which is sitting next to me. So, I take a peek at it. "William, my stomach hurts a lot! I'm suffering so much right now!" It's a text from someone named "Ellie". All the exhaustion in me disappears. I can feel my chest tightening up in discomfort. Once William is done with his shower, he leaves the bathroom and picks up his phone. "You should sleep first. I'm heading out," he says. When I see William turning his back on me, I blurt out, "Are you going to meet that childhood sweetheart of yours?" William wheels around to look at me. Suddenly, he moves to lift my chin. There is a trace of wariness in his eyes. "Don't go around sticking your nose in my business, Daphne. I like my woman docile and obedient." But I end up stalking William all the way to Royale Hotel, where I witness him visiting Elaine Moore, his childhood sweetheart. He coaxes her as though she's the most precious treasure in the world. I don't have the courage to question William in person. But still, I want to know who he thinks is more important to him—me or Elaine? So, I give him a call. "William, my gastritis is acting up again! It hurts so much! Can you drive me to the hospital?" I said. I use the same tactic that Elaine had used earlier. That night, I keep waiting for William, and yet he never returns to me. That's when I decide to not love him anymore.

At the Thorn Pack banquet, Jacob Mason carefully cut the steak on my plate. His gentlemanly demeanor and meticulous attention to detail drew envious glances from those around us. "Our Alpha is so good to our Luna," a voice murmured from across the table. "You won’t find a more devoted mate in all of Southspire." I glanced at Jacob, a sweet warmth unfurled in my chest. I silently tightened my grip around the Moonstone Ring—a ring my father had left me, the symbol of power in the Lotus Pack. I had planned to give it to Jacob when the banquet ended, when we were alone. But as the evening wore on, the noise and the clinking of glasses became too much to bear. I feigned a slight dizziness, excusing myself to return to our castle ahead of him. In truth, I needed the time to prepare a surprise—something special to commemorate this night. When everything was set, I silently slipped back into the banquet hall, ready to take Jacob by the hand and whisk him away. But as I arrived, I stopped dead in my tracks. There he was, holding Hazel Rhea tightly in his arms. "Chloe is so rigid," he said. "Always clinging to the dignity of being the Lotus Pack Alpha's daughter. How could she ever compare to Hazel's passion?" "Don't worry," he added, his tone light with mock reassurance. "Hazel and I are just friends. Chloe won't feel betrayed." He laughed softly. "But don't tell her, alright? She's so old-fashioned—if she found out, she'd leave me for sure. Honestly, the thought of spending the rest of my life with such a dull partner… It's exhausting." Just friends? Is that what he called the way his hand slid beneath her dress—being "just friends"? I didn't interrupt them. There was no need to disturb their lively conversation. Instead, I slid the Moonstone Ring onto my finger. Without a word, I turned and left. In the quiet of the night, Xavier Grey—who had been following me all along—waited. Together, we set off on the journey I should have taken long ago.

I was the future Luna, chosen and arranged by the current Alpha to be the mate of his son, Kelvin. But Kelvin—the heir to the pack—was unlike any other wolf. He had been blessed by the Moon Goddess with two mates. On the night of the full moon, he was confessed to by Amanda, the daughter of the Alpha from the Shadow Pack. Unlike the traditional, quiet, and graceful she-wolves from our own pack, Amanda enjoyed riding horses, hunting rabbits, shooting arrows, and drinking like a soldier. These wild traits deeply attracted Kelvin. But despite his obvious interest, Kelvin said, "Amanda is not quiet or considerate. With such a bold personality, she could never become the Luna of this pack." Even though he claimed to dislike her high-profile behavior, his eyes never left her when she was hunting in the forest. On his birthday, everything remained uncertain—until he declared that he would bond with Amanda and make her his second mate. However, Amanda rejected him outright, saying, "There's no tradition in our pack where the Alpha's daughter becomes a second mate. We can only be Lunas, and we deserve to be the only ones loved by our mates." Hearing this, Kelvin turned to me and said awkwardly, "Jenny, Luna is just a title. Could you give this title to Amanda? She's still young and doesn't understand our pack's rules. You're both my mates, and there's no difference between you. But since there can only be one Luna in the pack, let her have the title. You'll still be my true Luna—the one who actually handles all affairs of the pack." His words made my heart tremble. Tears welled up in my eyes. And at that moment, the moonstone ring he had given me as a symbol of our mate bond slipped off my finger, hit the floor, and shattered into pieces. Seeing that, I knew—our bond was severed. For good. But when he cried and howled, begging for his true Luna to come back... I was already gone, vanished from the pack entirely.

The Clan Healer told me that without the vial of Progenitor's Blood, the Blood Blight afflicting me meant I had only seventy-two hours to live. But my husband, Miles, the new Duke of our world, gave the only vial of the precious cure to my adopted sister, Vivienne, the woman I had turned three years ago. "She's in agony from the rejection, Isolde. It's a pain you can't possibly understand." His tone was self-righteous, devoid of any concern for the patch of skin on my collarbone already turning to stone. I nodded, watching as the life-saving, dark red liquid slid down another woman's throat. I accomplished a great deal in the time I had left. As I signed the documents, the lawyer's hand trembled. "Are you certain you want to transfer everything, Your Grace? The territorial rights of a thousand-year-old clan..." I didn't hesitate. "Yes. To Vivienne." My adopted daughter, Lily, the girl I had risked everything to save, who was now forever frozen at the age of eight, cowered in Vivienne's arms, pointing at me and screaming, "Aunt Vivienne is my real mommy! You're the witch who turned us into monsters!" I offered no defense. "Yes, that's right. Be a good girl and listen to your new mother now." The Progenitor's Ring, the symbol of the clan's supreme authority, now rested on Vivienne's hand. "Oh, sister, you're too kind," she sobbed, her sobs a practiced performance. "I'll be sure to protect the family in your stead." I nodded. "You'll run things better than I ever did." I even signed away my control over the Elder Council, a council sustained by my own blood. For the first time in a century, a shadow of complex emotion crossed Miles's face. He stared at me,"Isolde, stop fighting. It's better this way. You need to rest." Yes. On my deathbed, I had finally become the perfect, submissive Isolde they always wanted. An Isolde who was about to turn to dust. The seventy-two-hour countdown had begun. I wondered, when I finally turned to ash,

My boyfriend, Percy Gaskell, suddenly flaunts an engagement ring on the Internet. He also announces that he'll get married in two months. Everyone thinks I'm the lucky bride who will get proposed soon, including myself. Anticipation fills my heart as I start making wedding preparations. But unwittingly, I end up overhearing Percy and his friends' conversation at the doorway of a private room in a bar. "I'm seriously impressed with the method you used to select your wife, Percy. You actually gave all 19 of them different scores! Those with lower scores get kicked out, whereas those with higher scores get to ascend to the next round! In the end, you choose the best wife out of all participants! "Now, the only ones left are Maisie and your beloved mistress, Sabrina. Not only that, but you're also biased toward Sabrina, so you gave her a relatively high score. Maisie is definitely losing this time! "What if Maisie finds out that she's not the one you're marrying in the end? Will she throw a hissy fit?" Percy took a sip out of his wine glass lazily. In a flippant tone, he replied, "That will have to depend on who satisfies me the most. Let me observe them for three more days. If Maisie is still that disappointing, she shouldn't blame me for being ruthless." His friends all burst into laughter. "You're far too soft-hearted, Percy! Maisie is inferior to Sabrina, be it her figure, age, or bedroom skills! I can't believe you're still giving her a chance! "If I were you, I'd have kicked her out in the first round!" Percy just smiles in amusement. "I only wish to give her a chance because I see how pathetically low her score is. If she can't even use the final chance given to her properly, she shouldn't blame me for not marrying her." I can feel my blood turn to ice in my veins. My mind has completely gone blank. All I can hear is my heartbeat, which slowly becomes louder. With a trembling hand, I dig out my phone and text that man's number, which lies at the bottom of my contact list. "Are you up for a whirlwind marriage right now?"

Sa murang edad ni Clariza ay natutunan nyang umibig. Subalit ang una niyang pag-big ay hindi katulad ng pangkaraniwan sapagkat hindi niya nakita si Joseph. Sa pamamagitan lamang ng text sila nag-usap at sa ganoong paraan niya ito minahal. Nagpakilala si Joseph kay Clariza bilang pump attendant ng isang gasoline station. Lingid sa kaalaman ng dalaga na nag-iisang tagapagmana ang binata ng pamilya Villa Fuente at Monreal. Itinago ng binata ang kanyang estado sa buhay upang sukatin ang pag-ibig sa kanya ng dalaga. Naging tapat naman ang pag-iibigan nila pero isang araw ay nagbago iyong lahat. Dahil sa isang mabigat na dahilan ay nakipaghiwalay si Joseph kay Clariza. Labis na ikinadurog ng puso ng dalaga ang biglaang pakikipaghiwalay sa kanya ni Joseph. Mula noon ay nangako si Clariza sa sarili niya na hindi na siya iibig pang muli. Mabilis na lumipas ang sampung taon. Lingid sa kaalaman ni Clariza ay matagal na siyang nagtatrabaho sa lalaking nanakit sa kanya. Si Engr. Joseph Kristian Monreal Villa Fuente. Isang kilalang inhinyero at isang multi-billionaire. Tatlong taon siyang hindi umuwi sa Pilipinas dahil sa kagagawan ni Venus, ang babaeng sumira ng maganda nilang relasyon ni Clariz. Sa kanyang pagbabalik sa Pilipinas ay dumeretso siya sa resort na pag-aari niya. Nakilala niya nang personal ang supervisor na laging ipinagmamalaki sa kanya ng kanyang assistant. Sa unang pagtatama ng paningin nila Joseph at Clariza at sa simpleng ngiti ng dalaga ay agad na nahumaling ang binata. Dala ng kuryusidad ay natuklasan ng binata na ang babaeng napupusuhan niya ay siya rin ang babaeng iniwan at sinaktan niya sampung taon na ang nakalipas. Pano makukuhang muli ni Joseph ang puso ni Clariza? May pangalawang pagkakataon pa ba ang kanilang magmamahalan gayong hindi na handang muling umibig ang dalaga?