The Ugly Duckling Short Story Summary

I'd been "married" to Zachary for two years—until I tried applying for a loan and the bank's system flagged someone else as his legal wife. Our wedding? Just a private show. The real marriage license had his name next to hers. So yeah. I wasn't the wife. I was the other woman. Crushed, I went home—only to hear Zachary talking to his friend, Ethan, by the door. "Man, watching you stress is exhausting," Ethan said. "You clearly love Sierra. So why marry Cathryn?" Zachary looked torn. "At first, she was just a stand-in. But when she left, I couldn't stop thinking about her. So I brought her back—as my assistant." He paused, then muttered, "I can't live without Sierra. But I can't let go of Cathryn either. So I gave Sierra my love in public and kept Cathryn hidden with the title. That's fair, right?" I stood frozen, heart splitting open. He loved us both. Me—his childhood sweetheart. Her—the hidden wife. I thought I was the one. Turns out, I was just the game. He didn't break my heart. He shattered my whole world. But I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I walked away. And started planning two things.

ดินแดน ที่เป็นเหมือนคำจำกัดความ ขอบเขตของความเจ็บปวดสำหรับหญิงสาวที่แสนอ่อนหวานอย่างพาเพลิน เขาคือรักเดียวสำหรับเธอ แต่เพราะความแข็งกร้าวที่เขามี มันสร้างกำแพงสูงขึ้นเพื่อกั้นเธอเอาไว้แบบไร้เหตุผล

The once-glorious empire is in ruins, its capital buried beneath ash, following a bloody uprising. A competent scavenger who has been hardened by grief, Zara endures in the broken world, plagued by memories of the empire's devastation, particularly the ruthless purge that claimed her family's lives. She discovers a secret amid the rubble: a wounded man named Kael who says he is the final heir to the crumbling empire. Zara reluctantly consents to assist him, viewing his survival as a way to make amends. But Kael isn't interested in bringing back the empire he was born into. Rather, he is dangerously knowledgeable about a weapon that could upset the delicate balance of power in the world. An unforeseen attachment forms between Zara and Kael, complicating their objective as they create an uneasy alliance to traverse the lethal world of bounty hunters, imperial loyalists, and rebels. Zara is compelled to face her own troubled past—including the potential that her long-lost brother is still alive and fighting for one of the factions—as they delve deeper into the empire's hidden secrets. After the rebels kidnap Kael and torture him to find the weapon, Zara must decide whether to risk everything to save him or let him perish. Zara and Kael are pushed to the limit by their increasing love and the burden of their common past as they work against the clock to destroy the weapon and keep it out of the wrong hands. Will the fires of their decisions consume them or will they find salvation in a world of ashes?

When your ex, a hockey player, begged for your forgiveness in front of everyone, making a scene, You were both awkward and angry as the team erupted into a chorus of gossip. Just when you were speechless and didn’t know what to do, The famous hockey captain raised his voice and said, “Enough. She is mine.”

(Au Sequel de Enceinte et rejetée par mon compagnon alpha. Peut être lu seul.) Aujourd'hui, j'ai reçu mon premier baiser, de façon totalement imprévue, avec quelqu'un que je ne connaissais pas. Alors que je déambulais dans les couloirs de l'Académie des Métamorphes de Higala, un sentiment étrangement familier m'a soudainement saisie. Non loin de là, mon petit ami, Scott, était présent et, à ma grande surprise, il n'était pas seul. « Tu es tellement espiègle, Scott, » souriait légèrement la louve Sarah. « Uniquement pour toi, chérie, » répond-il, sa voix étant étouffée tandis que ses lèvres capturaient les siennes. À ce moment-là, je sens mon estomac se nouer. « Oh, Scott, arrête. Tu sais bien qu'on ne doit pas être vus ensemble. Que se passerait-il si ta copine nous découvrait ? » « Elle suit un cours. Elle n'est jamais en retard. Ne t'inquiète pas. » Mon cœur pèse lourd dans ma poitrine, mais un flux de colère et de ressentiment me traverse également. « Lila ? » haletait Scott, me regardant avec stupéfaction. « Qu'est-ce que tu— » Avant qu'il ne puisse finir sa phrase, je me tournai vers le gentleman à mes côtés, plaçant mes mains sur ses épaules et le tirant vers moi. Il se laissa faire, bien que ses yeux ne trahissaient que de la confusion. Je fermai les yeux très fort pour ne plus voir son visage. Puis, nos lèvres s'effleurèrent. Plus tard, en entrant dans ma classe, je l'ai vu... L'homme que j'avais embrassé quelques instants plus tôt dans le couloir. L'homme à qui j'avais donné mon premier baiser, était mon professeur.

"The first time I tasted you, I knew that I will never get enough of you." Maging yaya sa umaga at babae nito sa gabi—ito ang gustong ipagawa ni Uno kay Isa kapalit ang malaking pera. Para makasama ang anak na kinuha nito, pumayag si Isa sa ganoong arrangement. Pero paano kung malaman ni Uno ang tungkol sa kaniyang sikreto? Will she let him know about her little secret or will she hide the billionaire's unwanted baby forever?

Lalaine Xerano once dreamed is to being part of an exclusive documentary company. She pursues her dream even if she finds out that the company hired her for some other reason— to uncover the very influential person. Maximus Luciano, is a high-profile Capo Dei Capi, a half Italian half Filipino citizen. He was also known as a dangerous leader of the Lotus Organization. While she was reading his records, it was as if she was already in danger. When the top management guaranteed her future career, without a second thought he immediately accepted it. Will she succeed to tame the mafia lord? Or her drill will only lead to her defeat? ______________ Content Warning: This story has mature scenes which are not suitable for young readers!

Chloe's underclass mother is married to a billionaire, and she transfers to an elite school to become the first female werewolf warrior.But her origins make her a thorn in the side of the school's four ruling brothers.They have to take a little baby girl, less than a year old, to school.But the baby girl resists everyone ...... except Chloe.So Chloe, a new adult, is forced to become the baby girl's nanny and live in the bullies' dormitory?

I was the sole front desk clerk at a haunted hotel. Welcoming players, checking in on the bosses’ quarters, and slacking off a bit were all part of the job. At least, that was what I thought. It turned out my days were far from ordinary. A blood-drenched little girl in a tattered red dress kept ringing the service bell. Her eerie voice echoed, “Miss, why didn’t you come play with me?” A creepy black cat with glowing eyes wouldn’t stop meowing and rubbing against my legs. And then there was the old woman with claws like knives, cheerfully knitting me a sweater… out of players’ skin. One day, I took a day off to care for my sick mother. That was my biggest mistake. The entire game instance erupted in chaos. Bosses interrogated players, demanding to know where their precious front desk clerk had gone. “Did she abandon us? Is she never coming back?” I ran. They chased. But no matter how fast I fled, their grip on me only tightened. In the end, escape wasn’t an option.

Aku tak tahu harus mulai dari mana. Semua berjalan begitu cepat. Dalam waktu satu tahun, hidupku sudah berubah 180 derajat. Keluargaku hancur begitu saja. Segalanya berawal dari satu keputusan yang fatal, yang perlahan merenggut mereka satu per satu. Rasanya air mata ini sudah habis untuk menangisi kepergian mereka yang terlalu mendalam, sementara aku hanya bisa berdiri diam, menyaksikan semuanya terjadi tanpa bisa berbuat apa-apa. Namaku Azarea Andini Sanjaya atau biasa dipanggil zara, anak pertama dari seorang pengusaha properti di timur pulau jawa milik Ardian Sanjaya nama dari papaku . Sejak kecil hidupku selalu berkecukupan. Walaupun ada satu yang kurang, yaitu kasih sayang seorang ibu.