The Rain Barrel Effect

On my twenty-third birthday, my brother, Zackary Dixon, became the wealthiest man in the country. He threw a grand birthday party for the nanny's daughter, saying that she would be the Dixon family's favorite. At the same time, something went wrong with my artificial heart. I couldn't find a suitable one, only one month left in my life. Due to the torture of illness and great pressure, I had no choice but to call him. Hearing my cough, he coldly said, "At that time, you were afraid to get involved, and now you regret it?" My throat was sore. I stared at his expressionless face through the phone and laughed bitterly. "Zackary, three hundred thousand dollars is no big deal to you. Help me, OK?" Zackary sneered. I could hear his warm voice comforting Lillianna, "Voice phishing. It's fine." Of course, he was fine, because his sound beating heart was mine.

"You're my sister. I don't care if I'm drugged—this ain't it. You ain't my cure." Carlo Quaranta's eyes were shot red, chest heaving, but that rage? Way hotter than any craving. "Even if you make me marry you, I'll never love you." Vera Este didn't doubt it. Not for a second. He meant every damn word. Last time, she was the so-called "cure"... and it dragged her straight into marriage. She stared at his face—still young. Felt like it belonged to someone from a whole other life.

Alexander witnessed with his own eyes how Felix, the Alpha of the Blackclaw Pack, killed his parents. Swearing vengeance, he never forgot the little girl from the pack who had once saved him. When he finally overthrew the tyrant and seized power, he unleashed all his hatred on Melodie, Felix’s illegitimate daughter. Yet, only as she lay dying in despair did he realize—she was the very girl who had rescued him long ago.

Eight years married, and my wife? She asked for a divorce 99 times. I thought it was just her usual drama—testing me. Then I found out she'd been wiring half a million every year to some dude. Always with the same note: ILU. When she hit me with divorce number 100, I finally signed. I pulled my money out of her little passion project and ghosted—moved my company overseas, wiped my tracks clean. Now she's out there losing her mind, trying to find me.

Choosing to live independently in a highly urbanized city is a decision Latisha Thaviya Fallarco made at such a young age. Despite her parents prohibitions, she still managed to convince them by performing well in academics. She wanted to attend parties, get drunk and dance in the club, go shopping, and explore neighboring cities. She wanted to live her life to the fullest in the place she considered the best. Yet, she never saw the coming of an incident that would end that kind of lifestyle. She was forced to leave and be with her family. Latisha thought that living in a province would be hard for her, but she was wrong. In a particular town in Iloilo Province, she found her true home. Ps. This story is written in Filipino and English.

I made the decision to break up with Layla Freeman as I opened my eyes once more. She wanted to take Charles Jones and his son home so she could take care of them, so I would logically leave. I had a lot of arguments with Layla in my former life because of Charles and his son. She paid for Charles’ son’s wedding using the money I had saved for my retirement. Ultimately, the bitter cold killed me in the winter. When Layla found out about that, she was not filled with sadness. Rather, she accused me of dying on her godson’s wedding day. I would leave her and not have anything to do with her in this life.

Selene is the Goddess of the Moon and the mother of all the werewolves. She protected her children as best she could but the hunters sought each and every last one of them and killed them in cold blood. The reason: the werewolves' strength and supernatural healing abilities. The werewolves were believed to be extinct after the hunter eradicated their entire species, but the Goddess protected two of them. A fated couple that she blessed with a gift of a possible future. She gifted them with a miracle baby, and soon the savior of the wolves would be reborn. The first werewolf of history would be reincarnated.

Sa mundo ng mga makapangyarihan, ang pag-ibig ay hindi isang pagpipilian—ito'y isang kasunduan. Para kay Klarise Olive, isang mailap at napakagandang ballerina sa Paris, at kay Louie Ray, isang mapagmataas at aroganteng billionaire cosmetic surgeon, ang kasal ay isang tanikalang pilit isinuklob sa kanila. Isang kulungang hindi nila ginusto. Isang sumpaang hindi nila pinili. Isang umaga, dinala sila ng kanilang mga magulang sa isang seremonyang inakala nilang isang simpleng pagtitipon—hindi nila alam, sila pala ang mga bida sa isang kasalang hindi nila alam na kanila. Sa puting bestida at tuxedo, natagpuan nila ang kanilang mga sarili sa harap ng altar, walang ibang pagpipilian kundi ang lumakad at bumigkas ng panatang hindi nagmula sa kanilang puso. At sa simula pa lamang, ang kanilang pagsasama ay puno ng tensyon at pangamba. Si Klarise, na buong buhay niyang inalay sa sining at kalayaan, ay ngayon nakagapos sa isang relasyong hindi niya ginusto. Si Louie, isang lalaking hindi kailanman naniwala sa kasal, ay napilitang pakasalan ang babaeng hindi niya hinangad. Ang digmaan ng mga titig, sagutan, at matitinding emosyon ay namayani sa kanilang pagsasama. Ngunit sa bawat pagtatalo, sa bawat sulyap na puno ng galit at pangungutya, isang pagnanais ng pag-unawa at pagmamahal ang unti-unting sumisilip sa kanilang mga puso. Galit nga ba talaga ang namamagitan sa kanila? O mayroon bang alon ng pagmamahal na higit pa sa lahat ng kasunduan ? O may isang damdaming mas malalim, mas totoo, at mas mahirap ipagkaila? Sa gitna ng kanilang magkaibang mundo at personalidad, magsisimula silang hanapin ang kabuluhan ng kanilang piniling kasunduan.

He is a hater just like his name. Odd Wilson is a bitter man, no looseness, willing to suffer anyone who dares to change his very organized life. The heir to his father's companies. The first born of the family, Odd does not believe in love only in one night pleasure. The unexpected comes and with it disasters, Odd will not be appeased, but she will not be intimidated. Odd's anger is felt at the mere sight of him, but apparently she is not affected at all. He has only fallen in love once and doesn't intend to do it again. He was a man devoted to his wife until one night, a broken heart is capable of becoming something very hard and cold that not even fire itself can melt. It should be known that cruel lies don't last forever and forgiveness doesn't usually exist, but hate unites them and love overcomes them. His world comes crashing down when he meets his beautiful secretary Charlotte Smith.

While setting up the wedding bed, I discovered an unidentified liquid on the sheets. In my new marital home, someone else had already stayed here! My mind went completely blank, and I video-called my fiance. Surprisingly, the call was answered instantly. "The new bed is really soft. I tried it out for you," said Jeremy's assistant, Rachel. She smiled, flirtatious and smug. Perfect. I don't want this man anymore.