The Hard Thing About Hard Things

Seven years into our marriage, my husband, Lucas Thorne, is hailed as a legendary astronomer in the field of astronomy. It is no secret that he absolutely adores me, his wife. He always keeps a polite, distant demeanor with those around him. Even when his new assistant, Serena Cox, asks for his number, he coldly turns her down. In the year he proposed to me, he named a star "LAW", which was an acronym for "Lucas Adores Wilma". Since then, every asteroid he discovers is named with initials that hold a special significance only the two of us know. To others, they might just be scientific achievements. But to me, they are unspoken love letters. This goes on until this morning, when I stumble upon an unfamiliar phone. I unlock it easily with my middle name, thinking it's yet another quiet gesture of his love. But to my horror, I find a string of explicit messages between him and another woman. The person who was at the receiving end of those messages was none other than… Serena, his assistant.

When I learned that Holly Jones had gone to deliver cold medicine to her young assistant, even though she knew I was trapped in the elevator and suffered from claustrophobia, I asked for a divorce. Holly signed without hesitation. Smiling at her best friend, she said, "Jim is just throwing a little tantrum. His parents are gone, so there's no way he'd really divorce me. Besides, there's a thirty-day cooling-off period before it's finalized. If he regrets it, I'll graciously forgive him and take him back." The very next day, she posted a couples' photoshoot with her assistant, captioned: [Capturing your every sexy moment.] I counted the days. Calmly, I packed my belongings and made a phone call. "Uncle, buy me a ticket to Hudson City."

Teardrops start to fall every time I remember my dad. He didn't just left me with a broken heart but also a crocked life. I grew up to be a very timid girl, palaging binubully at pinagmamalupitan ng mundo. Every time I wake up, I always wonder when will I feel at ease in life? Yung tipong I can be who I want to be and have what I want kagaya ng twin brother ko, sumalangit nawa... He is enjoying the life as a solo child thanks to my mom! Kung sana lang things happened differently baka buhay donya rin ako at walang mangaapi at manglalait sakin! Buong buhay ko, wala na akong ibang ginusto kundi ang matanggap ako bilang ako. Well, I'm not ugly naman and darn! My smiles can melt a man's frozen heart pero joke lang naman 'to kasi NBSB pala ako.. ha ha ha I can have his life, why not? I want to have his life and enjoy everything that he had... I am still the daughter of our father! I'm Izel Sezin and I promise to do the switch!

Ritchelle Amanda Louvre is a twenty-three-year-old werewolf. A kind, beautiful, and angelic luna. She was dethroned as the Queen Luna of her former empire, kingdom Edington. Her former mate constantly abused and rejected her, so she decided not to stay in that kingdom anymore. Years passed, and she finally is crowned queen in another empire as she changed her name to Johannes Alora Evoy. A name that symbolizes rage, courage, hope, and nemesis. Taking a few consorts who will help her avenge for justice, she became the queen everyone loved. An independent and courageous queen. In her pursuit to take back the kingdom of Edington, she faces a lot of trials. Battling against her former mate and his concubine was definitely formidable. Despite everything she has worked hard for, vengeance for herself and the people of Edington is the only reason she thrives and fights. But one thought flows inside her brilliant mind, "Will I ever find another mate?" Nonetheless, avenge is all hers. The last laughter is to Queen Evoy alone. Let everyone behold the gem they once thrown. The rejected Queen Luna rose again from the dead to be known.

Simple, Smart, Sexy and Serene? then I must have you. Oh, you don’t date playboys? tough luck. Funny how I’ve been commanded to stay away from you but where’s the fun in that? If you think you can walk away from me, think again. You think dating someone else will deter me? watch me strategically deal with him so he wouldn’t dare touch you again. In fact, I will publicly claim you so that no sane man will dare to ever want you. I see you love your family and village so much, now I love them too, I might as well take them over. It’s not possession, I’m just crazy about you. Dream big baby, be the scientist you want to be. I will even build a research lab for you right here, now you have no reason to ever leave my side. It really hurts that you thought you were never going marry me, I might have omitted to tell you that we’ve been married for almost three years now and I don’t do divorce. Oh, don’t rely much on that contraceptive injection you’ve been taking because when I want an heir, I get an heir. You can be stubborn and rebellious, I find it cute but don’t go too far because you see that house and that village you love so much, you will have to watch it burn to the ashes. I am S’bu, the CEO of JC and the heir to the Jobe empire. I want you to be completely mine, who are you to go against me?

On the day that I returned to the country, Lola Lawson, the one who was once the love of my life for ten years, sent me a picture of a baby. She told me to think of a name and meet her at the city hall to register the baby, as she had prepared a welcome-home gift for me. So, I rushed over with bags full of baby supplies. But when I arrived, she and her girlfriends were bent over with ridicule and laughter. "I told you! Even though he was gone for a year, he's still a loyal lapdog! Just a wave of my hand and he'd even be willing to raise someone else's kid for me!" She sized me up with mocking amusement. "Kevin Sheraton. How could you still be this naive? Just one joke and you come running?" They laughed without any restraint, calling me names and hurling insults, saying I'd do anything for Lola. But when I walked past them and took a number to register my own child's birth, and later wrapped my arm around my wife as the three of us took a family portrait, Lola's eyes were completely reddened with tears.

Victoria, "Tori", a young lady fresh out of nursing school landed her dream job at the prestigious Hidden Falls Medical Center. Her boss asks her if she would work at a home with a young man injured in a house fire. When she learns he is the next Alpha to the Hidden Falls Pack and all of her fears and anxiety returns. Memories of her mother taking her away from her father, an Alpha himself, due to infidelities and growing up with twisted horror stories of werewolves told by her mother just to keep her away from her father. Learning at a young age that she has a Genesis wolf, or healer wolf, but unable to shift, she decided to use her abilities to help others. Little does she know that her father has been searching for his little girl for seventeen years. After looking for her in every town, city, and even a few other packs, his Beta, Victor, and his Gamma, Eric, have stumbled upon her by sheer chance. Having known Tori when she was a little girl, Victor is excited and impatient to find her and bring her home. He is so close until he learns from Eric, who happens to be Tori's best friend's fiancé and mate, that she will be going to another pack, just out of reach. As her friend comes along to the pack as her assistant, she works with the injured Alpha, who turns out to be her fated mate, but later rejects her, she learns more about her abilities, and the power she possesses, and desired by the greedy Alpha who will stop at nothing to have her, even after rejecting her. But a second chance mate is ultimately her savior and has been with her all along.

Randy’s mother, Monica, was on her dying bed. Her only wish before she died was for him, my alpha boyfriend, to perform our marking ceremony before she passed. When Monica looked at him eagerly, Randy agreed to mark me. But after we left her room, Randy said that he was going to marry Alina. “Alina’s mother is critically ill. She also wants to watch her undergo the marking ceremony before she passes. We can wait a little longer before we conduct our own marking ceremony, Emma.” “But what about your mother? She wants to witness us undergo the marking ceremony too!” “My mother can hang in there a little longer. Don’t worry.” Randy then grabbed the ring that Monica had given to me. It had acted as a symbol of me being her daughter-in-law, but Randy gave it to Alina. Unbeknownst to him, Monica was already at Death’s door, and she was feigning a picture of health in front of him. On the day Monica passed away, Randy performed the marking ceremony with another woman. After I made preparations for Monica’s funeral, I vanished from Randy’s world. To my surprise, he started begging me to become his mate after I left.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

Wake up, be fed poison, go to school and put on a show. Come home, have head knocked into the hardest thing available. Go to sleep and repeat. It's a day in the life for Kai Deneiro. Her solace is the many faces she hides behind and the performances she puts on for the world. When she's someone else, she is most loved. But, Kai has long since given up on any real notion of love. In her mind, it simply doesn't exist--not from her psychotic mother, not from her dead-beat, estranged father, and certainly not from the pretty boys with their flowery words. When she transfers to a new school, she runs into the most charmingly arrogant boy she has ever met, and things take a strange turn. When he runs into her wall of faces, he's determined to break it down and uncover the true her.