The Little Engine That Couldn't

As the year ended and payday finally arrived, my salary still hadn't hit my bank account. I headed straight to the finance department to sort it out, but Sarah Thompson dismissed me impatiently. "You picked up those coupons last week, didn't you? The ones for "Spend 2,000, save 1,000". You got ten of them, adding up to $10,000. Your salary is $8,000, and that extra $2,000 is a perk." I stared at her, stunned. No one had said a word about this when the coupons were handed out. Worse, they could only be redeemed at our boss's supermarket, where commodities were ridiculously marked up. Items that cost $19.99 at a regular supermarket went for $49.99 there, more than double the price. It dawned on me that the boss was just shuffling money from one pocket to another, which meant I had been basically working for free. I shoved the coupons back at her. "I don't want these. Just deposit the cash into my bank account." Michael Wright walked over with a frown. "What's all the yelling? We gave you an extra $2,000, and you are not even grateful? You're stirring up trouble for nothing. You'd spend your salary on stuff anyway. We're just making it convenient." My voice rose, shaking with fury. "What you're doing is illegal!" He laughed, cold and scornful. "Then sue me. I manage things here. You think I'd be scared by a minor employee like you?" Right then, my phone buzzed with a text notification: [Lisa Matthews, congratulations on securing the Enforcement Officer position at the tax bureau.]

Growing up, Cindy Anne Lopez had it all. Fortune, prestige school, loving and protective parents. She was the heiress. The first born of the Lopez Clan. But everything changed when she fell in love. At the age of 16, she met Leo Montes. The son of a very dangerous man. She loved him. She was crazy in love. Find out how she will get behind that mask...

Ella never imagined her life would turn out like this. Running away from the man she had fallen in love deeply, carrying a secret inside of her. Cutting ties with everyone she knew just to protect not only herself, but Xavier. No matter how hard she tried to escape, forces beyond her control made that impossible. Not knowing who to trust anymore, Ella finds her thrown into a world of betrayal, lies and danger.

( 21+ ) Darren Hawk seorang CEO di perusahaan teknologi terbesar di New York. Di usianya yang terbilang sudah matang, ia ingin mempersunting kekasihnya yang bernama Angela Rawllies, desainer berbakat yang bekerja di sebuah perusahaan fashion terkenal di Paris. Namun niatnya kandas karena sang ibu telah lebih dulu meminang seorang gadis untuknya. Xavia Price, model cantik yang berkasta sama dengannya. Darren berusaha menahan diri untuk tidak memberikan hatinya pada Xavia, namun semua itu kandas dalam satu malam. Dan malam itu menjadi petaka yang menyudutkan Darren. Siapa yang harus dia pertahankan? Angela atau Xavia?

“Hubby, pwede ba akong makahiram ng pera?” ang malambing kong tanong sa aking asawa na ngayon ay pagkasama-sama ng tingin sa akin. Paano ba namang hindi eh feeling close ako sa kanya. “Why would I give you? Sa tingin mo ba ay dahil pumayag akong makasal sayo ay makukuha mo na, at ibibigay ko sayo ang mga kailangan mo ng ganun ganun lang?” galit na galit at parang gustong manakit na sabi ni Jared. Ewan ko ba kung bakit sinubukan ko pang lumapit sa isang ito kahit na alam ko naman sa sarili ko na hinding hindi niya ako pagbibigyan.

Oluchi never thought love would find her this late. She has spent her life following rules, hiding pieces of herself, and convincing the world she was fine. Then comes Amina the soft-spoken lesson teacher with a fire in her eyes, the one who makes Oluchi’s world feel both terrifying and alive. What begins as stolen glances soon becomes a dangerous longing. Desire. Fear. Hope. Everything Oluchi was told to bury begins to rise. But in a world that punishes women for wanting more, for loving differently… Can Oluchi risk it all for love? Or will survival demand her silence once again? The Love That Changed Everything is a tender, messy, and unforgettable story about late-found love, queer longing, and the price of choosing yourself.

Hanggang saan ang kakayanin mong tiisin? Kung paulit-ulit na pinapamukha sayo ng taong mahal mo na isa kang babaing walang dignidad? Na babaing tinikman ng lahat ng lalaki? Kaya mo bang tiisin ang pagmamahal sa taong hindi kana kayang mahalin dahil lang sa isang pagkakamali?

Breadwinner Eliza has a hidden secret in her family. She doesn't want her to know his secret so she does everything to keep it. From childhood, she impressed them and did not want to disappoint them. Until she looked for a fake boyfriend to introduce to her family. On the other hand, Myco didn't think that the woman he didn't even knew introduced him as his boyfriend. They agreed that the man would pretend and Myco did nothing but obey because he needed a large amount of money for his sick brother.

She was the price of a debt. He was the punishment she never saw coming. When Piper’s family business crumbles under the weight of betrayal, her father strikes a deal with billionaire Rowan Archer—one that comes with a chilling price: Piper’s hand in marriage. Rowan doesn’t believe in love. And Piper has no intention of playing the obedient bride. In a mansion that feels more like a prison and a marriage built on control, Piper must either fight the man who owns her freedom or risk falling for the one she swore to hate. The contract was only the beginning. What’s brewing between them could burn them both.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*