The Mad Gate

My fiancee gets drunk the day before our wedding. While I'm taking her home, she mistakes me for my best friend. "Jackson, don't bring our child to the wedding tomorrow. I don't want Samuel to know about us." I slam on the brakes, causing Madelyn Wilkinson to hit the seatback and come to her senses. When she realizes it's me, she freezes for a moment before slowly explaining, "Since you heard that, let's call off the wedding for now. You don't have to worry. Jackson doesn't plan on getting married again. But I'm still that child's mother no matter what, so I need to help out. "Jackson's your best friend. You feel sorry for him if he has to raise a child alone, don't you? I'll marry you after my son starts school." I can't help smiling bitterly. "Alright then… I don't have a problem with that." When we get home, she packs up a suitcase and leaves without another word. Feeling a sting in my eyes, I suppress my emotions as I sit on the couch, falling into a daze. That's when my phone rings at the worst possible moment. My childhood friend, Hazel Parsons, says in a hoarse voice, "Sam, don't marry her. Please." I fall silent for a beat. "Alright."

Bagaimana rasanya berjuang sendirian dengan kaki pincang sebelah. Saat kau berusaha sekuat tenaga, disaat yang bersamaan pula semangat itu dipatahkan oleh orang yang engkau kasihi. Alana harus menerima sakit hati dan fisik luar dalam dari suaminya sendiri. Baginya tak dinafkahi itu hal biasa. Tapi kenyataannya, pengkhianatan cinta pun ia terima jua. Mempertahankan pernikahan dalam kebohongan itu bukanlah mudah. Dirinya harus berpura-pura dalam setiap kondisi yang ada. Apakah benar suaminya real berselingkuh ? Atau ada dendam yang ia sembunyikan. Entahlah. Akan ada waktu yang menjawab itu semua.

Diwang alias Natasya--wanita muda cantik dan primadona di sebuah rumah bordil--dipertemukan kembali dengan sahabat semasa sekolahnya, Gazalio Hernando. Pria itu mendadak menjadi pelanggan di sana setelah dikhianati saudara kembar dan tunangannya. Meski awalnya tak mengenali Gazalio, Natasya akhirnya terlibat dalam pusaran kisah pria itu. Terkadang, dia bahkan seolah kembali masa kelam yang dia lalui sebelum disorot gemerlap kehidupan mewah seorang wanita malam. Lantas, bagaimana kisah Natasya selanjutnya? Apakah Gazalio yang merupakan pria sukses dengan hati terluka dapat menarik keluar sang primadona dari sana?

"Silla, kamu mau 'kan jadi maduku?" Seperti petir yang menyambar di tengah hari, Silla terkejut mendengar permintaan tak terduga dari Elsa–sahabatnya, yang selama ini dianggapnya sebagai saudara. Selembar kertas hasil pemeriksaan dokter menunjukkan jika dia tidak subur, Elsa akhirnya meminta Silla untuk menjadi madunya. Hanya sebentar, hanya sampai Silla berhasil melahirkan keturunan untuk suami Elsa. Awalnya, Silla menolak dengan tegas. Namun, desakan terus menerus membuatnya akhirnya setuju. Lalu, bagaimana jika dirinya terjebak dalam lingkaran pernikahan itu? Apalagi, sedari dulu hingga sekarang, Silla rupanya masih memendam rasa kepada Nathan—suami dari Elsa. Akankah semaunya berjalan semestinya? Atau, Silla justru tak ingin lepas dari Nathan?

Walang matandaan si Mark sa kasunduang nagdala sa kanya sa cruising trip na kasama si Marlyn at Wanda, magkapatid na nakilala lamang niya dahil sa hindi inaasahang pagkakatuklas niya sa kataksilan ng kasintahang si Cleo na dapat sana ay aalukin na niya ng kasal. Sila ang mga berdugong dapat ay magbibigay katuparan sa hangarin niyang mamatay nang gabing iyon--as it turned out, the siblings were tour guides specializing in executing euthanasia to travelers with a death wish. But fate had better plan in store for them. Sinalubong sila ng malakas na bagyo sa gitna ng paglalayag. They were left with nothing but the company of each other and a dead engine that could get them nowhere. Napadpad sila sa isang isla kung saan masusukat ang haba ng pisi ni Mark. Masusukat maging ang kakayahan niyang lumaban sa tukso. Lalo at habang tumatagal sila sa isla, nagkakaroon siya ng hindi maipaliwanag na damdamin para sa dalawa. Umibig siya ng sabay sa dalawang babae na hindi niya puwedeng angkinin pareho. Muli ay natagpuan niya ang sarili sa isang sitwasyon na higit pang kumplikado sa delubyong nagdala sa kanila sa islang iyon. Ano ang naghihintay na kapalaran sa kanilang tatlo sa isla? Sino sa dalawang babae ang higit niyang kailangan at dapat niyang piliin? Kung isip ang piiralin niya, wala siyang pipiliin sa magkapatid para pare-pareho ang laban. Walang masasaktan. Walang magdidiwang. Ngunit dumating siya sa puntong kailangan pa rin naman niyang mamili. Kung sino kina Marlyn at Wanda ang magwawagi sa puso niya, tadhana na ang magtatakda.

You spend a whole year carefully prepping for pregnancy… only to find out your husband cheated on you with his stepsister—and got her pregnant. 💔 So, you divorce that piece of trash and decide to have a baby on your own. But plot twist… the sperm donor you chose? Turns out he’s a freaking foreign prince?! 👑😱

"If you force yourself on me, I will never forgive you. You'll have to take me kicking and screaming," I warned. At my words, his face became grave then he looked at me, making me feel a little more intimidated than I'm used to. "Whether silent or screaming, I will fuck you. You my mate and you will carry my heir, that's your role" He used his Alpha tone on me. It hurt. Not physically, but emotionally it did. He was ordering his own mate around like I was just another pack member. Why would he treat me any different? That was a silly thing to expect from him. He took his duty very seriously. His job came first before any thing else

Aku diam-diam mengikuti jejak teman sekamarku, tetapi malah tertangkap oleh seorang tukang bangunan yang bertubuh kekar. Dia langsung menekanku ke atas meja belajar, lalu bertanya sambil menyeringai nakal, "Kamu maunya sama satu kelompok atau cuma aku?" Menghadapi ruangan yang penuh dengan pria-pria kasar itu, aku menangis sambil membuat pilihan. "Aku pilih kamu saja!" Hanya saja saat aku sedang dipermainkan hingga wajahku memerah, tiba-tiba pintu ruangan terbuka ....

Simula pagkabata, humahanga na si Alliana sa Ninong niyang si Amadeus isang propesor. Kaibigan ito ng kanyang mga magulang at isa sa mga taong naging sandigan ng pamilya niya noong bata pa siya. Kahit noon pa man, alam na ni Alliana sa sarili niya na hindi lang basta paghanga ang nararamdaman niya sa kanyang Ninong. Tahimik niyang pinangarap na balang-araw, kapag siya’y ganap nang dalaga, baka sakaling mapansin din siya nito. Lumipat ang pamilya nila sa Vancouver Canada, at doon siya lumaki. Nang bumalik siya sa Pilipinas, isa na siyang kolehiyala. Dahil hindi na makakauwi sa Pilipinas ang kanyang mga magulang, ipinagkatiwala siya kay Amadeus na hindi lang ngayon ay guardian niya, kundi isa rin sa magiging propesor niya sa unibersidad. Sa tabi mismo ng condo unit ni Amadeus siya nanirahan. Mula nang magkita silang muli, hindi nawala ang pagkamangha ni Alliana sa kanya. Hindi pa rin ito nag-asawa. May dalawampung taon ang agwat ng edad nila, pero lalong lumalim ang damdamin ni Alliana sa araw-araw na kasama niya ito. Nakikita niya kung paano ito igalang ng mga estudyante, kung gaano ito ka-organisado at katalino, at kung gaano ito ka-dedicated sa trabaho. Ngunit gaano man siya lumapit, tila may dingding pa rin sa pagitan nila. Turing pa rin sa kanya ni Amadeus ay isang bata. Isang inaanak na kailangang alagaan at ituwid. Nagpasya siyang akitin ito sa kahit paanong paraan na alam niya, at kung hindi pa rin ito bumigay sa kanya tutuluyan na niya itong kakalimutan talaga at ibabaon ang damdamin para rito.

After my crimes, I surrendered myself to the police. My fiance rushed over and questioned me, “You didn’t steal anything, so why’re you admitting it?!” I spread my hands. I decided to spend the rest of my life in prison. In my previous life, my fiance’s childhood sweetheart, Selene, had caused trouble everywhere after she returned to her home country. First, she stole things from a mall. Then, she dined and dashed. Finally, she ran a red light and killed someone. The mall manager, the restaurant owner, and the victim’s family all cornered me. I was puzzled. Why did they come after me for the things Selene did? Later, they accused me in front of the police of stealing, dining and dashing, and committing a hit-and-run. Apparently, they had mistaken me for Selene. But Selene and I looked nothing alike. I requested the surveillance footage as proof of their claims. The footage somehow showed that I was the one who had stolen things, dined and dashed, and committed a hit-and-run. My denial was useless without evidence. The footage, on the other hand, was foolproof. The victim’s family stabbed me to death out of rage. Even as I died, I could not understand why all the crimes Selene committed ended up becoming mine. When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the very day Selene stole things from the mall.