The Leaf Thief Read Aloud

Charlie Wade was the live-in son-in-law that everyone despised, but his real identity as the heir of a prominent family remained a secret. He swore that one day, those who shunned him would kneel before him and beg for mercy, eventually!

Luke was a , not that he had a choice. He was kidnapped when he was twelve and sold and rented off to different men. At the age of 20, he was deemed damaged goods and left on the streets to die. Valentino Sero was a ruthless man, that is if you cross him. He runs hotels and casinos, as well as underground gun and trades. You know the gist, Italian man, involved with the mafia. One thing about him is he likes to take in broken people, help them and trap them into working in the mafia for the rest of their lives.

Matthew Hunt and Ambrose Donovan. Two millionaires, married, but not in love. Both in their mid-thirties and single, it's either they marry each other or their families would set up an arranged marriage with a stranger so the two decided to get married. They were best friends since they came out of their mothers' wombs so they were each other's next best choice. It worked. Their parents stopped hounding them. They lived in the same house, same room, do everything a married coupled would do (except sex), especially around other people, that is until their parents wanted grandchildren.

Levi is a billionaire. Lavish lifestyle, huge mansion, fancy cars. He could have everything in the palm of his hand. Levi has it all, but a companion. He can't seem to keep genuine friends. His only true friend was his butler, George, but after he passed, Levi was engulfed in loneliness. So Levi hired an escort instead of going to therapy.

Avery hired a gardener after his mother passed. He was left to maintain the huge garden that his mother has worked on for years after she passed. Little did he know, his gardener changes his life in ways he never expected.

Lian Moore had it all. About to graduate high school with the highest honors and every award possible, universities and colleges were scrambling at his feet. He had great friends, he lived in a perfect home. He never had to worry about everything. People around fawn over him. His life was set in stone, a straight path to success. That is until he fell in love.

My childhood sweetheart who promised to marry me the moment I graduated proposed to Camille Willow, my sister, during my graduation ceremony. At that moment, Dennis Malcolm, the most eligible and admired bachelor in Blington City's elite circle, stepped forward and confessed his love for me immediately after my childhood sweetheart's proposal was accepted. For five years after our marriage, Dennis showered me with devotion, treating me with such tenderness that it felt as though I were the center of his world. But everything shattered the day I overheard a conversation between him and his close friend. "Dennis, now that Camille's on top, are you really going to keep pretending with Tracy?" "It doesn't matter. I'll never have Camille. Besides, as long as I'm here, she'll never disrupt Camille's happiness," he answered. The paper notes he held dear, each one carefully preserved, revealed a harsh truth. Each one carried her name, accompanied by heartfelt wishes: "May Camille be released from her burdens. May she find peace within herself." "May Camille achieve all she dreams of, and may her heart love freely." "Camille, we were never meant to be together in this life. I can only hope that in another, we will walk side by side." … Five years of devotion shattered in a single moment of clarity. I crafted a false identity and planned an elaborate drowning to vanish without a trace. From this day forward, in this life and all others, we shall never cross paths again.

I had always shared a perfect relationship with my mother-in-law, Betsy Dutton. We were the model pair of a wealthy family. She and my father-in-law, Rourke Dutton had been childhood sweethearts, their bond seemingly unbreakable. But one day, she told me something that changed my entire perception of them.  She clutched my hand and tears were streaming down her face. “Naomi,” she sobbed, “your father-in-law… he’s been keeping a mistress. They even have a child together! “For over ten years, I’ve been in the dark, made into a laughingstock!” My throat tightened, and I couldn’t hold back my own confession.  “Mom, actually… Julius is no better. He bought a whole apartment building for his mistress!” We wept in each other’s arms, our heartbreak spilling out in waves.  After what felt like an eternity, she sniffled and straightened herself. “Men are utterly unreliable creatures!” “I’m done with that old man, Naomi!” I gripped her hand tightly. “Mom, wherever you go, I’ll follow. I’m done with Julius, too!”

On New Year's Eve, I prepare a feast. The clock strikes twelve, but my husband, Vincent Porter, still isn't home. My daughter, Lorelei Porter, tugs at my sleeve and holds up my phone. "Look Mommy, Daddy is at this lady's house!" Vincent has posted an update on Twitter. He is with Christine Snow, his childhood sweetheart. They are smiling at the camera, with a boy who looks about ten standing between them. In front of them sits a swan-shaped cake. The caption reads, "The most special day for the most special you." My heart sinks into my stomach. A marriage that came later in life can never compete with a pair of childhood sweethearts. I accept defeat.

My husband and I have been legally married for five years. This is the tenth time he's canceled our wedding ceremony. This time? His student, Laura, is competing in her first international violin competition—and he 'needs' to be there. I still remember the last cancellation: an awards ceremony he had to attend with her. The time before that? She fell ill, and he stayed at her hospital bedside. The other times? I've lost count of the excuses, but it doesn't matter. The reason is always Laura. Her needs always outweighed my wedding. My marriage. My life. Fine. If he wanted to stand by Laura so badly, he could stay there forever. This hollow, five-year farce of a marriage? It's over.