The Empire Strikes Back Summary

I trusted her. I trusted him. Big mistake. When I caught my husband and my best friend tangled in betrayal, my world shattered. And my daughter? She chose her as her new mom. Me? Just a housewife. Just the ‘overbearing mom’ who cared too much. Done. I walked away, leaving their apologies and tears in the dust. My husband dropped to his knees, begging, “Please, come back. We can fix this.”My daughter clung to me, crying, “Mom, don’t leave me.” I laughed: “Fix it? Don’t leave? Too late. You had your chance. I don’t need either of you anymore.”

Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the veil of arranged marriage? Meet Irene, a woman whose fate is sealed in the hands of a billionaire groom with a hidden identity. Despite the absence of love, can she thrive in a life where she must conceal her true self? As her story unfolds, it begs the question - is the traditional concept of arranged marriage all that it seems? Who is the real Irene behind the facade? The answers may surprise you.

“What are you going to do with him? Take him back???" Brion demanded, his gaze incredulous. "Take him back?" I scoffed, a smirk coming over my face as I stared at the picture in my hand.  "I have no plans to do that, BRION. I want him to fall for me, then push him down like he did to me. I want to make him feel the pain I passed through in his hands." I got to my feet and threw the picture on the floor. "It's time he dances to the tune of his music," I gritted out as I stomped hard on the picture. *** A loveless marriage wasn't part of Nova's plans for the future, but a one-night stand with a stranger changed her life forever. Bound to a man, who only saw her as a means to an end, Nova tried to salvage the relationship. However, things spiralled out of control with the return of his ex-girlfriend, and first love, and the realization that Nova was pregnant.  Her life was threatened, but she survived with the help of her secret admirer, who took care of her for five years until she was ready to stand on her feet. However, a business deal took her back to the country she left years ago.  With her return, Nova was ready to prove to the world that she didn't need her ex-husband by her side, but Dashiell was desperate. Knowing how much he loved her, he was reluctant to let go. But Nova wasn't ready to take him back, not until she had made him experience the heartache of those years ago.

Heavily pregnant, she was kidnapped and thrown into a life-or-death gamble. Her husband paid a hundred million dollars to save his first love, while she was left to die in a raging fire. At death’s door, she finally remembered the identity of herself. Five years later, she returned—not as the obedient wife of the past, but as Elianna Carrington, the esteemed Fifth daughter of the powerful Carrington family in Bryston. Loved by her father, cherished by her brothers, adored by her son, and pursued by the elites, her life was perfect. Joseph Kensington finally realized the truth. This elegant, untouchable woman was the wife he’d been searching for all these years. Desperate, he took her to court. Elianna: Give it up, Joseph. Both sons are mine. Joseph: The kids are yours. You’re mine. Overnight, Bryston was shaken. The dominant heir to a financial empire had now fallen at her feet. To win his wife back, he risked everything—his pride, his life, his heart. Too bad his two sons were his biggest obstacles. Eldest son: Daddy, my credit card swipes faster than yours. Second son: Scumbag dad, get lost!

Three years of marriage, and it all ends with two words. Sign it. He didn’t even look up when he said it. Just slid the papers across the table like I was another business deal to close. We weren’t supposed to fall in love it started as a contract, something practical, something safe. But feelings have a way of growing where they shouldn’t. For a while, I thought he cared. The quiet moments, the small things he remembered my favorite song, how I take my tea, the way I hate the rain. I thought they meant something. Turns out, they did. Just not for me. Every gesture, every soft word, was borrowed from a memory. From her. The woman who had him first. The one who left. The one who’s now back. So I signed. I smiled. I walked away. Not because I wanted to but because I had to. He doesn’t chase me. Not yet. But I can feel it the weight of everything unsaid still hanging in the air between us. Maybe he’ll realize what he’s lost. Maybe he won’t. Either way, this time, I’m not waiting around to find out.

I sued Damon after two years of suffering with his changing behaviour. Damon had another woman. I assumed that our marriage had failed and was on the verge of collapse. However, who would have thought that when I agreed to the divorce, he would torture and lock me up? "You're not going anywhere, Addy. I'm not letting you go at any time," he said with emphasis. "Isn't this what you wanted? Divorce. So you can live free with your lover from my shadow." Damon grinned. A grin that I find horrifying. "You think I don't know, Addy. You've found another man, haven't you? That's why you agreed to my lawsuit two years after I filed it." He has become such a changed person. He has become an invulnerable monster. Can I get a divorce from him?

"Don't touch my son! You never even wanted him, did you?" *** Because of love, Sasha was willing to engage in a clandestine relationship with her friend's father, Vincent. Vincent justified it by claiming that his wife was having an affair, so he needed a companion. However, one day Sasha discovered that Vincent's wife's lover was her own father. Confused, Sasha found out that Vincent had only used her as a bed-warmer doll to seek revenge on her father. Sasha decided to leave Vincent. However, her friend wouldn't let her go peacefully and continued to harass her. The situation worsened when Sasha found out she was pregnant. Eventually, she made the decision to disappear forever, leaving behind her bitter past. Unfortunately, several years later, when she had built a good life with her son, Vincent came back into her life.

Marietta thought she had it all figured out, not until everything came crashing down. Accused of doing something she didn't do, and betrayed by those she trusted, she's left to pick up her pieces. But when she finds out she’s pregnant, things get a lot more complicated. Now, she’s fighting to figure out her future—alone, hurt, and ready to take back control. Can she start over, or will her past keep dragging her down?

My boyfriend suddenly posted something on his Instagram. [I’ve offered my body and soul to the country.] I was about to ask what he meant when he sent me a plane ticket to the northwest. He explained that the mission was confidential and that he could not be in contact with me during this time. Ten months passed. He was supposed to be away, but he came home unexpectedly and caught me at a prenatal checkup. When he saw my eight-month-pregnant belly, his face turned pale with anger. “I’ve been gone for ten months. How are you pregnant?” I shrugged and said, “Weren’t you supposed to be gone for three years? Why are you back after just ten months?”

Martyr na kung tawagin pero kayang gawin lahat ni Zhang para lang sa lalaking minamahal niya kahit na pilit siyang tinataboy nito. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ni Zhang na takaw gulo si Zech, kaya hangga't maari ay gumagawa siya ng paraan para mapabuti ito at mabawasan ang pagiging suki nito sa Detention Office. Hanggang saan nga ba aabot ang pasensya at pagmamahal ni Zhang para kay Zech? Sapat na ba ito para manatili siya sa tabi ng nasabing lalaki kahit na makailang beses na siyang sinaktan at binalewala?