That Summer A Novel Novels & Stories

On my wedding day, my childhood friend, Finn Wheeler, kicked open the chapel doors with a whole crowd of his friends behind him. He announced that he wanted to take me away and marry me. However, we hadn’t even gone far when he suddenly let go of my hand. Then, he laughed nonchalantly and said, “Guys, I won again for the one hundredth bet. You lost. Pay up.” Only then did he turn back to look at me. “I was just joking,” he added lightly. “You didn’t actually believe me, did you? You can go back in and finish the ceremony.” Everyone laughed at how I’d pursued Finn for ten years and how I would do anything for him. However, neither Finn nor any of them knew that being taken from the altar was just one part of my wedding plan.

After seven years of marriage, Cecilia Summer inherited a fortune worth billions. But while handling the paperwork with her lawyer, she was told that her marriage certificate wasn’t real. She could only inherit the entire fortune in her own name. After digging further into the details, the lawyer mentioned a name she never expected to hear. “Mr. Leedon’s wife is listed as Lucy Garnett, not you. Miss Summer, you’re… unmarried.” Everyone in Summerville knew that she and Marcus Leedon had been engaged since childhood. She was his everything, his treasured possession. When they got married, Marcus gave her the wedding of the century. He made a public promise: “I, Marcus Leedon, will never betray Cecilia!” But the marriage certificate bearing Marcus Leedon’s and Lucy Garnett’s names was issued the day after the wedding.

Ever since her nonbiological Mom died, she loathed and blamed herself for that. Avery Maureen Del Hera escaped home when she thought her father whom she grew up with wanted her to go to States, and even be with her biological parents, without him fighting for her. Hence, that's the bare part of the story. When she escaped home, she found a place . . . with the help of her own fate. A zone-like place, literally, with its wide and grandeur sceneries, isolated from the world. It's the Zone of Yavanna, or how the Zoners called it as Forest Survival. It definitely comes with names. Yet she eventually held one while being in there, a codename- a new identity: Cosimia. Her tale begins right at that moment. A journey of being the real sleeping beauty, for she's never awakened with the truth that she's been lost all along. She may have sought where she belongs, but did she see where it will lead her? In this forest that bargains life, away from the cruelty of death, one will strive for the betterment of herself, to think of what will become of her. Here's the thing, she's never a Del Hera, yes, but did she know, too, she's never Avery Maureen?

She was never supposed to exist. He was never supposed to want her. Nyx has spent her entire life hiding what she is. In a world ruled by werewolf packs, she is the one thing every Alpha, every warrior, every wolf alive has been trained to kill on sight: a Skinwalker. Born with the ancient curse to steal the form, scent, and memories of anyone she touches, Nyx has survived by being invisible. No pack. No name. No trace. When the feared Alpha of the Obsidian Throne, Caelan Voss, demands a bride from the weakest pack in the territory to seal a blood treaty, the elders don’t hesitate. They choose their most disposable member—the orphan girl no one would miss. Nyx is dragged to the altar expecting death. Instead, something impossible happens. The mating bond ignites—not the ordinary wolf bond, but something older, something even the Moon Goddess cannot control. A blood tether. It means Caelan feels everything she feels. Every fear. Every lie. Every surge of heat. And Nyx? She accidentally absorbs a piece of his wolf during the bonding kiss. Now she can shift—but into his wolf form. A massive black wolf with silver eyes that every pack member recognizes as their Alpha. The wrong bride. The wrong species. The wrong vow. But the Moon didn’t make a mistake. She made a weapon. When the truth about what Nyx is comes out, will the bond that was never supposed to exist be the thing that saves them both—or the thing that destroys everything?

"Miss Jackson, are you certain you want to undergo hypnosis? You should know that once the hypnosis begins, it cannot be reversed. Your body will be controlled by an alternate personality, and you will fall into a sleep from which you will never wake up again," the doctor asked in a grave tone from the other end of the phone. "Yes, I'm certain," Nina Jackson replied calmly.

My younger twin sister, Emma Lawson, is everyone's favorite because she is sickly. A snowstorm traps us on the mountain and the rescue helicopter arrives with room for only one more. I have terminal cancer and am ready to let Emma take my place. Then she suddenly clutches her head and cries that she feels dizzy. My whole family rushes to her side and together they push her into the cabin. My husband, Leon Ziegler, touches my fractured arm and says, "Sarah, you'll have to wait for the next helicopter." My daughter, Daria Ziegler, even throws a snowball at me. "Aunt Emma is sicker than you. Stop trying to take her spot." Only when the helicopter takes off do I see Emma pressed against the window, smugly sticking her tongue out. She has been lying the whole time. When I am finally rescued, the doctors tell me I have three days left to live. I decide to trade everything I own for a small piece of my family's affection.

My daughter’s kindergarten held a family event, and I rushed there, only to see her holding hands with my wife’s male secretary. “Daddy,” she said, “I wish our family could stay like this forever.” I watched as the three of them hugged, radiant with happiness. Suddenly, exhaustion washed over me. Later, I filed for divorce. Then I left to teach in rural villages for thirty years. If I couldn’t light the lamp in my own home, I’d at least illuminate the path for others.

In the middle of a small yet tidy room, Aurora lay fast asleep. Her pale skin, as well as her beautiful face, would immediately make one address her as Sleeping Beauty. It was ever so befitting of her because she actually answered the name of the fairytale character. The only odd thing in this picture-perfect tale was the way Aurora was restlessly writhing on the bed already downed in cold sweat. She seemed to be having a nightmare as her arms flailed aimlessly, and she groaned continuously. Her beautiful face was morphed into a frown as tears escaped from beneath her kids and trickled down the sides of her face. She was indeed a sorry figure, which was a far cry from the fairytale we all knew. Soon, her body froze before she jolted awake in a sitting position. She panted like she had just run a marathon, and her eyes searched the room frantically, looking but not seeing. Her eyes were dazed and unfocused as she seemed to not be mentally present. She soon regained her breath but kept staring at a blank wall facing her bed. She stayed in that position for what seemed like hours but was actually minutes. Ring! Ring! The alarm clock on her bedside drawer blared continuously, disturbing the eerie silence that had engulfed the room ever since Aurora woke up. That seemed to do the trick of snapping her out of her haze and reverie as she jolted, and her eyes finally cleared up. She shook her head and turned to the direction of her bedside drawer before reaching out and hitting the alarm clock. Silence.

Natasha is a rich girl who fell in love with someone she least expected. Natasha and Michael didn’t plan to fall in love—it just happened in quiet moments, shared laughter, and long conversations that felt too easy to be new. What started as simple coffee breaks and campus strolls slowly turned into something deeper, something real. But love wasn’t the only thing growing between them. With disapproving parents and personal struggles pulling them apart, their relationship is tested in ways they never expected. Through misunderstandings, distance, and emotional walls, they are forced to question if what they have is strong enough to survive. In the end, it’s not just about love—it’s about choice, timing, and whether two people can truly find their way back to each other.

When I went for my prenatal checkup, I filled in my mafia husband Enrico Salvatore's information in the spouse column. However, the doctor told me, "The system shows no record of you ever being married. You're unmarried." I froze, unable to believe it. "How is that possible? We got married five years ago. Please check again." The doctor pulled up the system records again, and only one line appeared on the screen: [Marriage Registration: None.] At first, I thought the hospital had made a mistake. Then, I overheard Enrico talking to one of his men. "Isabella's the only one in my heart. I'll give her everything else she wants. But Luisa gave me a daughter. For the sake of the family's bloodline, I have to register our marriage and give her that status. Isabella can never find out about the registration." At that moment, I finally understood. The small wedding five years ago was nothing but a cover. We never registered. There was no legal marriage. Even the child I was carrying had no legal standing. It was all an elaborate lie he had crafted. Since none of this ever truly belonged to me, I would just leave.