Thank You For Myself

Love makes the world go round, sabi nila. Pero iba para kay Alexena dahil pinatigil nito ang isang bahagi ng buhay at pagkatao niya. Kahit na dala ang sakit ng kahapon ay pinili niyang mag-move forward at ngumiting muli upang ipagpatuloy ang buhay. Ngunit pagkatapos umalis nang walang paalam makalipas ang ilang taon ay hindi niya kailanman inakalang maglalaro ang tadhana at pagtatagpuing muli ang kanilang landas ng nag-iisang lalaki na kanyang minahal at iniwan sa nakaraan. Pero nagbago na ito, wala na ang bakas ng pagkatao ng lalaking kanyang nakasama noon. Wala na ni anino ng suyo kapag tinatapunan siya nito ng tingin at lambing sa tinig kapag kinakausap siya. Sa halip ay puro pang-iinsulto at masasakit na salita na lamang ang lumalabas sa bibig nito sa tuwing bubuka iyon. At ang nakakaloka pa ay napapansin niya na palagi na lang siya nitong pinag-iinitan at pinepersonal. Palagi ring iritado at akala mo ba ay may buwanang dalaw sa sungit. Aminado naman siyang may malaki siyang kasalanan dito. At mukhang dumating na rin ang panahon ng paniningil nito, ayaw man niya ay kailangan niyang magbayad. Ngunit sa kabila ng mga iringan nilang dalawa at hindi pagkakasundo ay hindi maikakailang ito pa rin ang nag-iisang tao na may kakayahang patibukin nang mabilis ang puso niya. Akala niya ay okay na siya, akala niya ay naka-move on na siya rito. Pero mukhang mali ang lahat ng naging paniniwala niya dahil tutol man ang isip niya sa kanyang nararamdaman ay sadya namang may pagkatraydor, suwail at balimbing ang puso niya basta pagdating na rito ang usapan. Love is sweeter the second time around, maging applicable naman kaya ang kasabihang iyon sa dalawang ito? O sa halip na maging matamis ay baka naman pait ang malasahan at maging kapalaran ng mga ito sa dulo?

10 years have passed and she got everything, so they said. A face that no one could ever deny its beauty, a body that makes men go crazy and a successful career in the legal profession. She has it all, except him- the man she so dearly loved but has to let go of for her to get all these things she has now. Cattaleya Rillera really thought then that it would be worth it. Afterall, she was only 17 at that time when an elderly couple chose her to be their adoptee. Hindi niya inakalang may magkakagustong ampunin pa siya dahil sa edad niya. When she reached the age of 16, hindi na siya nangarap pang may magkakainteres sa kaniyang maging parte ng kanilang pamilya dahil isang taon na lamang ay aalis na siya ng bahay-ampunan dahil magiging isang ganap na siyang maygulang. At ngayong may gusto siyang ampunin, hindi niya papalampasin. This is all she ever wanted. Lahat naman sila doon sa bahay-ampunan. Thus, she consented to such an adoption even if she would have to break her promise to the boy she loves- Caleb Sanchez- the boy she promised to marry when she left the orphanage. Isa ding orphan na naunang umalis ng orphanage dahil mas matanda ito sa kanya ng 2 years. Ang taong nangakong magsisikap para makapag-ipon at paghandaan ang kanilang pagsasama sa oras na umalis siya sa bahay-ampunan. Now that she has finally achieved the success of her chosen career, she thinks it's time to locate him. And if she succeeded, she could only pray that he was still single and that he would find it in his heart to forgive her.

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

LOVE HATES YOU ALANIS grew up without a mother, because her mother died with cancer when she’s still young. So her father raised her alone. He didn’t remarry again , instead he spent his time making a good relationship with his daughter to make sure she got everything. Alanis was okay with the set up, she loves her father dearly and she wants to make him proud in every way. But everything changed when his father decided to sponsor their driver’s son Rafe. She got jealous of him, she thought maybe her father was regretful that he had a daughter instead of a son. RAFE was offered a full scholarship by Don Miguel where his father worked as a personal driver. He grabs it, as an opportunity only comes once, but the Don wants him to stay and live at Esmeralda mansion so that he can focus on his studies without worrying about anything. It was when she met the young Alanis. He thought that she was just another spoiled rich kid when she treated him as if he’s invisible. There are times when she pulls a prank on him just to see how long he can stand the humiliation he’s going through. Years pass by without them having a problem until the Don suddenly dies in an accident and they find out that the Don leaves a will that Rafe will be the guardian of Alanis until she turns at the age of 25 or marry someone who’s capable of handling the Esmeralda Trading and it’ll depends whether Rafe agreed to it. Rafe promised to retract the guardianship after they solved the case of Alanis father's accident.

Ciara Lewis suffered an indescribable pain in her heart when her parents broke her soul into a million pieces. They promised to go with her every step of the way but ended up imposing the worst pain she could ever imagine. Her father abandoned them to be with his mistress, the reason her mother suffered depression and took her own life. At the thought that she couldn’t move forward, she found a light with the help of Zachary Denver Ford. An intelligent guy and blessed with so many opportunities. Ciara and Denver fell in love and were undoubtedly happy in their relationship. Ciara thought the heavens had sent Denver to cover up the pain she endured in her heart, but she was wrong.  Denver got bumped between her and a massive opportunity that could offer them the best future. When he chased his dreams, Ciara felt rejected and her life went upside down. Denver promised to win her back, but EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED to the extent that he wished he had never left.

Because of Claire's incitement and slander, Jackson accused Grace of having an affair with Shane. He even disowned the child in Grace's womb, as he felt that he had never had sleep with his wife after they got married. When Grace's child was born, Jackson took a DNA test and the results showed that the child did not match his DNA, meaning that Grace's child was not Jackson's. Grace couldn't believe it, because she had only done it once with Jackson when he came home drunk. However, repeated DNA tests showed that the child was not Jackson's. Grace took a DNA test on herself, and the results didn't match either. It turned out that the baby was not her baby. Then, where did Grace's real baby go? Why did her baby suddenly become not her baby? Jackson chose to divorce because he felt betrayed. Grace agreed to divorce, because she was sick of living with the cold and sharp-mouthed Jackson. Until the truth was revealed, it turned out that Grace had never been wrong. However, Grace was already angry. She signs the divorce papers and together with Shane they search for Grace's real baby, which has been swapped and thrown away by someone else. Until a fact about the baby makes Grace furious and wants to avenge the death of her baby.

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT SCENES AND MATURE ELEMENTS, SUITABLE ONLY FOR READERS AGED 18 AND ABOVE. Read at your own discretion. Once upon a time... He did something to survive university. He became a sugar baby to a wealthy sugar daddy. Several years later, their paths cross again. Unfortunately, he is already married and with a child. He should be keeping his distance, however, after meeting his son, he instantly fell in love with the boy. Despite the confusion brought by the father and son in his peaceful life, his heart glimpses hope after learning he has no wife. However, after all these years, he still felt inadequate. His dark past continues to haunt him like an unrelenting shadow. More so now that the boy has crawled his way deep into his heart. A kryptonite that can be used against him. Will he let the intimidating yet exceptionally gorgeous father disturb his heart just to keep his spot next to the boy? Or, as he did years ago, he is tempted to flee to keep their peace.

Irene Hoopai kept pursuing her passion kahit na tutol dito ang kanyang mga magulang. Dalawang pangarap niya ang gusto niyang matupad. Una, ang makapagtayo ng sariling photography studio. At ang mapansin ni Riley Romualdez, ang lalaking matagal niya nang gusto. She's one step closer to her dreams ngunit isang hindi inaasang balita ang nakarating sa kanya. Ipinagkasundo siya ng kanyang ama sa pamilyang karibal ng mga Romualdez sa negosyo. Clymer has set his eyes on Irene for years at handang niyang gawin ang lahat makuha lamang ang puso nito. Kahit ang itali ito sa relasyong siya lamang ang may gusto. But how could he keep someone who loves freedom so much? Can his love alone keep her tight?

I'd rather die. That's what Lauresse San Forte words. She was taken to a prison cell and had not eaten for days. She was taken with the other girls as a means of a business, bought with a price in a life she did not know. Ashton Sid Del Aveiro was in pursuit of finding his only sister when Lauresse met him in a situation they didn't expect. In a world Lauresse has never been, she was brought with a price for the price. The price that needed her to act as his wife in the eyes of his rivalry, elite families, the organization, and his business associate. For Lauresse's safety. He had a goal, and she had her to be free again. But it won't make an easy way when she needs to dive into his world and into his life. In a game she joined, they were dancing in the system that Ashton would surely be his greatest fall if he let feelings rule him over his mind. His life was nothing but about the organization and as part of the family. He needs to keep it safe even if it's too risky. Life has one meaning, his family. His only sister. His father's happiness. His mother's sanity. But her, his greatest mistake yet his most significant happiness.

Savannah Elin S. Mercado has been punished by her own father because of their feud, she was devastated knowing that her father had to give her a punishment just because she protected herself. She believed that love will give her reasons to hate marriage but then Clyde Oliver M. Reyes entered her unlovable life, he wants her but he can't have her, that was it. What other misfortunes can happen in this lifetime? Does her mission to save someone be the reason why she will be at her lowest?