The Joker Once Said Novels & Stories

I disappeared in the year Sebastian Ferraro loved me most. For thirteen years, he never got an explanation. And for thirteen years, I punished myself by never watching his games, never saying his name, and never thinking about the promise we made in that old hockey rink. Until I returned to this city and saw a faded poster outside the abandoned arena. Sebastian was only seventeen in the photo. He stood at the center of the ice, bright-eyed and fearless, with one sentence printed beneath him: Wait for me past the blue line. That was his promise to me. And I had missed it for thirteen years. Later, I collapsed inside his arena. When I woke up, the boy I had once failed was standing beside my hospital bed. Only he was no longer a boy. He was a professional hockey star. The heir to the Ferraro crime family. And a man whose fiancée was about to marry him. I wanted to tell him why I had left all those years ago. But he looked at me and said coldly, “The past is over. Don’t cause any misunderstandings.” That was when I finally understood. I no longer had the right to disturb his life. So I smiled, swallowed every truth I had kept buried, and booked a flight to New Zealand. I thought leaving was the last thing I could do for him. Until that plane disappeared from radar. The news spread through the whole city. Everyone said Sebastian Ferraro lost control at the airport. He went through the passenger list again and again, screaming my name like a man who had already lost everything.

On the way home for the holidays, my wife, Sophie Hartman, and I were caught in a terrible accident. When I opened my eyes again, we had both gone back in time to before we ever fell in love. In our previous life, we'd been married for seven years. We were polite, respectful, and distant, almost like guests sharing the same house. And all those years, she never once agreed to have a child with me. It wasn't until later that I learned the truth. Sophie had never let go of the man she once loved. This time, I chose to set her free. We quietly deleted each other's contacts, kept our distance, and walked separate paths in life. … Seven years later, she became one of the most successful traders. At a class reunion, she announced her relationship with Vincent Parker, the man she had never forgotten. When she saw that I was still single, she couldn't resist teasing me. "Lucas, I know I've always been the one you love most, the one you're proudest of, but you don't have to spend your life waiting for me." I didn't respond. I simply took my son's hand. Sophie's face went pale. Her eyes reddened as she demanded, "You said you'd love me for life, that you'd only ever have children with me!"

My husband’s company went bankrupt, and his creditors quickly came over to threaten him. Then, of course, they asked me for the money. Milo Cardilo, my husband, was worried that they would hurt me, so he shielded me and said while crying, “Stella, the company owes ten million dollars. Let’s fake a divorce and split our assets. That way, I won’t drag you down with my debts. Trust me, honey. Once this is settled, we can get married again.” His sincerity and selflessness touched me. When the creditors came to drag him out of his company to beat him up again, I stepped forward. “I’m Stella York, and my father is the Don of the Rosa Family. Let my husband go, and I’ll give you the money.” But when I went downstairs to call my estranged father, I heard my husband talk to his creditors. “Don’t believe her. How could she possibly be the Principessa of the Rosa Family? She must be bluffing to stall for time. Make your act more convincing. Puncture all the fake blood bags I have on me! Once she signs the agreement to walk away with nothing, I’ll pay you ten times the acting fee!” My heart went cold. So, when it was time to sign the divorce agreement, I agreed without hesitation. Milo sighed in relief, but what he did not know was that he was going to pay the price for his deceit.

After six years by Archie Valez’s side, everything changed when his uncle died—and Archie took over the family legacy… and with it, the responsibility of caring for his “young” aunt, Betty Cruz, whose age was practically the same as Archie’s. Still, whatever Betty wanted, Archie delivered. I just never thought it would include a baby. Betty said she wanted a baby with the Valez bloodline. And with the uncle gone, Archie was the only one left to do the job. So he gave her that, too. “Just wait a little longer,” he would say to me, “Sabrina. As soon as she’s pregnant.” What started as once a month turned into once a week… Then it became a nightly routine. Of almost eight months that we lived in New York, Archie went to Betty over a hundred times. And she finally got pregnant. Shortly after, the Valez family announced that Archie would be marrying Betty. “Mommy,” my daughter asked softly, climbing onto the couch beside me. Elly—our Elly. My Elly. The daughter Archie never had time for. “Is someone getting married?” I held her close and kissed her hair. “Yes, sweetheart. Daddy’s finally marrying the love of his life.” Elly blinked at the screen. “But what about us?” I smiled. “We’re going home, baby,” I whispered in her ear. Archie forgot that I was Sabrina Marcellus. And the Marcellus women didn’t beg for rings. And certainly not love after betrayal.

"I said come here..." There was an in the voice, I was unable to deny it. The dominance and the power were making my . I gulped looking into those thunderous eyes. I can feel a shiver run down my spine, as I took a step forward. The drops of sweat formed on my forehead trickled down from the side of my face. "Are you nervous?" The voice echoed in my heart. And I was unable to tell that, I am not nervous! I am terrified as . It is not right... I can not be here. The dreams that I have seen didn't include this trauma. I can not do it. I have to run from here far, far away... Where I can get the time to get out of these dreams turning into nightmares? My senses were giving in, I took another step and as I was getting closer, my heartbeat was getting fast and fast. I hate it. "I never thought, I will find anything like this... I have expected her to be cheating on me, I have expected her to be with another man... But this, no this can't be true..." "He thought, he will abandon me, he left me... Yes, he did but once I will get a hold of his life. I will never let him go... Not this time. I will go to any extent to get him back." "I never thought, that I will be unable to shake off that creepy feeling ever in my life. But once my eyes got caught with those mesmerising ones, I forget every fear!!! And there was only one feeling left... It was desire, pure desire."

Oscar Chamberlain once believed he was the happiest man alive. He had nine extraordinary sisters who adored him and never hesitated to show it. Then the Chamberlain family found their long-lost biological heir, and everything changed. Overnight, Oscar became nothing more than a temporary stand-in, easily replaced. For years, he had worked tirelessly for the Chamberlain family, giving them his loyalty and effort without question. Yet on the day their true heir returned, they cast him out without hesitation. He did not even have the chance to show them the diagnosis clutched in his hand: brain cancer, two years left to live. … After the nine sisters drove Oscar away, they began, one by one, to sense that something was wrong. The eldest no longer carried her commanding confidence. The second lost the sharp decisiveness that had once made her seem unstoppable. The third found her inspiration drained, her once-celebrated talent slipping into mediocrity. And the new young heir, when measured against Oscar, fell painfully short. Only much later did they understand what Oscar had truly meant to the Chamberlain family. By then, regret had come too late. When they accidentally discovered that he had brain cancer, the news struck them like thunder from a clear sky. In the pouring rain, they knelt before him, weeping and begging for forgiveness. This time, however, Oscar chose himself. "Sorry," he said calmly. "You've already taken back the Chamberlain name. I don't know you anymore."

In the fifth year after my death, my wife, Yuna Lane, visited my apartment once more. She wanted me to take the blame for her childhood sweetheart's corporate fraud crimes. "Finn, Joe is going to be elected the chairman of the Trade Association. He can't afford any blemish to his reputation. Will you only be satisfied by thoroughly ruining him? "It's only two more years in prison! Joe said he'll give you a job once you're released. Stop being so ungrateful!" Her screams and shouts startled my neighbors. … When she banged on the door once more, the woman who lived across from me finally stepped out into the hallway. "Miss, stop banging on the door. He died long ago." "He's dead?" The woman sighed. "Yes. I hear it goes back to that fraud case years ago. The victim's family wasn't happy with the sentence, so as soon as Finn was released, they had him run over and killed.” My wife's face turned stark white upon hearing the truth. However, barely a few seconds passed before she let out a cold scoff, confident this was all just a scheme of mine. "Great. He's willing to fake his death just so he can get out of helping Joe. Does he really think I'm helpless and powerless against his schemes? Tell him that his parents are dead meat if he doesn't show up in three days!" She then violently kicked the metal grills of my door before strutting away on her high heels. The woman watched her walk away with bloodshot eyes, shaking her head in pity as she muttered under her breath, "Poor guy. His old man died soon after hearing of his death..."

"Isabella you need to marry Alexander." said her father she blinked then composing herself she said "Why?" her father's eyes narrowed "What do you mean why?" said her father with a raised voice she flinched slightly but then she looked opposite to her chair and looked her sworn enemy who tormented her in high school just for her attention and now he won't even decline this he looked calm and composed in his cold demeanor. she can't even recognize him what has he become Alexander Morozov a cold twenty-seven years old billionaire and now she has to marry him she couldn't control it and stood up looked at her father coldly and said, "respectfully I decline father, I won't marry Alexander," she said with venomous voice and then she looked into alexander eyes which was already boring holes into her. And without listening to her father she started walking toward the exit. "Isabella, I'm your father don't forget I gave you the COO position in this company. In the future, you will become the CEO." said her father coldly he knows how much she is working hard for this company and she couldn't decline him because that's the last precious thing of her late mother. "You're Blackmailing me Father." she said blankly her heart hurt "I'm doing this For you my daughter," he said without emotion. She scoffed and said, "Don't blame me for the consequences." with that, she left her father's office. Her father looked at her best friend's son. But Alexander's eyes were glued to the door which she left. There was something in his eyes that Isabella's father couldn't read. one thing was sure he was obsessed with her since high school. was this the only reason to bully her or there was something else too? Authoraeraa14_

“One year. Be mine” He said, his breath hot against my skin I should have refused, I should have said no and walked away but he made an offer. 90 million dollars for one year. I needed it to save my sister so I said yes. He was the devil CEO of the town and I was nothing but his event planner. He needed a wife for a year and I needed the money. The rules? There was just one. Don't fall in love.

Look woman I never begged to be your husband, you gave me that opportunity” Min Jun yelled. Mei Xing a 22 year old and the only daughter of multi-billionaires is diagnosed with cancer but doesn’t want to go through chemotherapy, with only a year left to live, she wants to explore. Min Jun a jobless 23 year old, finds himself a jackpot and agrees to be her contracted husband for the money and all the benefits of being with a billionaire’s daughter. EXCERPT: “Will you marry me?” Mei Xing asked a stranger she met walking on the streets. “What did you just say?” he said and was about to walk away. “I will pay you, a hundred thousand dollars, if you be my husband for a year” she said. “A year?” he asked and she nodded. She scanned through her wardrobe and wore a flowery dress, it wasn’t summer but by summer she might be too sick to wear it. “You only live once, more like a year," Min Jun finally arrived in jeans and a polo, “A summery dress in fall” he said as he took his seat. “The deal is I get fifty thousand dollars before we start the arrangement, then after the wedding I get the other half” Min Jun asked and Mei Xing nodded in approval. “You just have to be with me for a year, I probably won’t be alive by the end of the year” she joked. “Do you have some kind of transferable deadly disease. Covid?” he asked her. “No just cancer” she assured. “So I’m going to be free in a year and you'll be dead” he narrated.