The Guest List Novels & Stories

Jackson Dalton, my roommate, was a deeply disturbed voyeur. His greatest hobby in life was spying on me. Back in school, he stole my underwear. After we started working, he set his sights on sleeping with the woman I loved, Caitlin Watson. Because we were close, he constantly crossed the line, making crude, sexual remarks about Caitlin, who was a flight attendant. "Those legs are insane. Wonder what it’d feel like to have them on my shoulders." Every time he ran his mouth, Caitlin would throw water in his face and curse him out. "Stay the hell away from me, you freak." For my sake, she never called the police on him, but every time he acted up, she made sure to humiliate him in public. The night I successfully proposed, I bought a new house. Jackson showed up with a full set of appliances as an apology gift. Wearing her diamond ring, Caitlin leaned into my arms, smiling like she was the happiest woman alive. All my friends said I was lucky to have such a beautiful and loyal fiancee, who even put my worst friend in his place. Until I got up in the middle of the night for a drink. I noticed the guest room door was slightly open. When I pushed it open, I saw Caitlin wearing a collar and being led on a leash while crawling on the ground.

To make up for past regrets with his first love, my husband, Pierce Ronan, lied that he could see everyone’s lifespan. He told me I had sixty years left, but his first love, Jessica Stone, had only seven days to live. So, for those seven days, he said he had to fulfill the promises of their youth. He brought her home, cared for her, and when they went back to their old college campus to relive their love, I didn’t protest. When he confessed his love to her and planned the wedding of the century, asking me to be the bridesmaid, I didn’t raise my voice. It wasn’t until he wanted to break the final taboo — in our marital bedroom — that he looked at me with guilt in his eyes and begged me to move out. The housemaids watched, snickering behind their hands, but I only smiled and nodded in agreement. I packed my bags, carried our child, and moved into the guest room next door. Seeing how obedient I remained, Pierce was touched. “I promise, this will be the last time I wrong you. Once Jessica passes, I’ll make it up to you.” What he didn’t know was that I had already seen through his lies. What he also didn’t know was that the one truly dying of cancer, the one with only seven days left to live, was me. Three days remained. Then, I would be gone.

The champagne was flat, much like the expression on Julian’s face. "It’s not that I don’t love you, Elara," he said, adjusting his $5,000 suit jacket. "It’s just that you’ve become... predictable. I need a woman who challenges the world, not someone who waits for me to come home and tell her what color the sky is." Elara felt the sting of the words more than the cold wind on the balcony. For six years, she had been Julian’s shadow. She had curated his life, managed his moods, and dimmed her own light so he could shine brighter. And now, on the night of his company’s gala, he was discarding her like an outdated software update. "Predictable?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Go home, Elara. I’ve already had your things moved to the guest house. We can talk about a settlement in the morning." She didn't wait for the morning. She didn't wait for the "settlement." She walked out into the rain, her silk dress clinging to her skin like a second, cold layer of grief. It wasn't until three days later, sitting in a dingy motel with nothing but a suitcase and a bruised soul, that the notification popped up on her phone. ARE YOU READY TO LIVE FOR YOURSELF? ENTER THE SURVIVAL GAME. WIN YOUR FREEDOM. Elara stared at the golden icon on the screen. It felt like a trap. Or maybe, it was the only way out.

"You're never going to see my worth, are you?" Layla mumbled as tears streamed down her cheeks. "There's hardly any," her husband, Donald pouted mockingly and bursted into laughter, his mistress beside him joined in the jest. "Why not divorce me then?" She blurted. "Because you can't survive without me, you're a charity case, I'm taking pity on you by keeping you here,don't jeopardize that." "What if I can survive without you Donald?" "I'm sure you can't." He laughed. "Should we get a divorce and see then?" The words left Layla's mouth before she could hold it back. ** Layla thought she’d built a forever, despite being aware of her husband's infidelity, she had high hopes for their marriage... until the night of their anniversary, her husband came home late with his mistress and demanded that she slept in the guest room while him and his mistress stayed in their room. That was the moment her world broke, and she finally walked away, returning back to her family's home in London. But fate had other plans for her. Her brother’s best friend, Liam, once a boy she barely noticed, had grown into an insanely attractive young man that she couldn't ignore.

On the day Raina Whitmore makes the Helios Rich List, she smiles for the cameras and declares, "I wouldn't be here without my secretary, Kieran Vale. He's the most important person in my life." While she confesses her love in the interview, I lie in a hospital bed, worn out and fading. I'm her husband, the one who's held her company together all these years. But I don't get a single word of thanks. My daughter, Talia Hart, even looks at me with pure disdain. "Dad, you've held Mom and Uncle Kieran back long enough. It's time you let go and let them be together." Rage surges through me. My chest tightens, and everything goes black. When I open my eyes, I'm back 30 years earlier, standing in the Whitmore residence to choose my fiancee. This time, I don't hesitate. I skip right over Raina and choose her aunt, Elara Whitmore.

A night of being drunk had gotten her entangled with the most desired bachelor. The handsome sexy Chris Evans. Ivy had only planned to have fun but After that night, she had become his. Chris Evans had come knocking on her door, claiming she belongs to him. She couldn't believe she had been drawn into the world of the elite in the country. Chris was born with a silver spoon but at 27, he had upgraded to a shiny golden spoon. He was a big name in the world of the rich. The world of the highest and richest. On that list, he was number one. No one comes close to him. Chris had lost his control for the first time in his life and that was because of a drunk girl in a red gown. That had never happened which means, she belonged to him and no one else. He had to have her at all costs and that meant, taking her... What would happen when she jumps into a relationship faster than she had planned and the attraction keeps getting stronger? How would they control the urge?

Leia Roschèr had been waiting for this field trip ever since she had heard about it at the beginning of the year at her high school. The sophomore-senior Washington D.C. trip has been the only thing on Leia's mind. The museums, the memorials, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She couldn't be more excited about anything else. Leia was known to most of the school in one of the worst ways possible, ever since her reputation had plummeted. The reputation she had gained all thanks to the number one most hated person on her list: Senior boy, Zachary Bentley Turploy. The worst person ever known to exist in her life. Zach, the hockey star team captain and self-made billionaire, was known to always tease Leia; mocking her, pranking her, and intentionally misplacing her things. The whole campus knew of their rivalry. The moment they arrived at their hotel for the trip, Leia realized that what once was her dream has just as easily become her worst nightmare. And Zachary Turploy had just been cast to Star as the main character.

I decided to die on my 28th birthday. It was not suicide but homicide... by my dear sister, Susan Bruno. I had always known that she would kill me. I told my older brother, Barry Bruno, and he said, "Charlotte, don't always think so badly of Susan." I told my fiancé, Calvin Simmon, and he said, "You're making up a story to draw attention again." Hence, I decided to give them the evidence they wanted most—a corpse. I installed seven cameras, set up an automatic sending program, and wrote a farewell letter. I left clues for the killer, bait for Susan, and a time bomb for my family. Today, Susan texted: [Charlotte, Dad has something for you at the safe house.] I replied: [Coming.] Before leaving, I checked my to-do list one last time. Everything was checked off, except for one thing: death. I would die. They would never know that the moment my heart stopped beating... the countdown to revenge had only just begun.

Ivy had one job: to get close to the billionaire Seth Ashford, meet his circle of friends, and make all of them pay for what they did to her sister in college. Each man was going to suffer for how much they shattered her life and left her with scars that were too deep to heal. Her revenge list was long but it started with seducing Seth and making him fall in love with her. But she soon realizes everything isn't what it's supposed to be. Her brother, who pushes her to get retribution for their sister, has been lying to her all along, and her boyfriend who was comfortable with her revenge scheme, suddenly wants her to stop. She finds herself falling for the enemy and battling between choosing love or revenge. But she soon realizes she has no control and is nothing but a pawn in other people’s games. Revenge turns out to be more dangerous than she expected it to be. You know what they say, revenge doesn’t end with one grave. It always takes two.

Moving to a new town with her only family, after a haunting incident seemed like a good idea to Iris. Iris is a black girl with a sad past. She's your average book nerd and can be nice when she wants to be. She doesn't believe in true love or happy endings but is a sucker for some good ol' romcoms. She hates badboys and finds them completely clichè. Here Luca comes into the picture. Luca is not your everyday bad boy. He is broken and is considered the town's brute or beast rather. With tattoos, piercings and a glare that wards people off. Unfortunately, Iris becomes drawn to him like a moth to a flame. And almost immediately, Luca is pulled to her quirky, sassy and stubborn self. (Although the list could go on.) With his possessive and overprotective behaviour, Luca isn't one to let go of what makes him happy. And Iris makes him happy. What happens when their pasts comes to haunt them? Will these two broken souls fight their way through every barrier just to be with each other? This is the story of two broken souls trying to find solace within themselves.