These Times Are Hard The Script

Ezekiel is a ruthless billionaire, known for his charm, arrogance, and a long trail of broken hearts. Love, to him, is a game—one-night stands, no strings attached, and women begging for his attention. But when a critical merger threatens his empire, Ezekiel needs a wife—fast. Not a socialite or a gold-digger… someone quiet, obedient, and easy to control. Enter Isla Ramirez, a struggling waitress buried in debt, desperate to save her sick younger brother. When Ezekiel offers her a cold, cutthroat contract—marry him for a year in exchange for a fortune—she has no choice but to accept. She signs her life away, thinking she’s nothing but a pawn in his game. But nothing is simple with Ezekiel. Their marriage begins with venomous fights, cold glares, and unbearable tension. He drags her into his dangerous world of power plays and brutal secrets, expecting her to break. Yet Isla doesn’t bow—she bites back. Her defiance ignites something primal inside Ezekiels: obsession. What starts as a business transaction turns into a searing, forbidden attraction. Ezekiel’s dark desires and possessive nature clash with Isla’s stubborn spirit. He hates her… but craves her. She fears him… but aches for him. Every stolen glance, every sinful touch, pulls them deeper into a wicked game of lust and power. With enemies lurking in the shadows and secrets threatening to destroy them both, Ezekiel finds himself torn between his playboy past and the woman who challenges him like no one ever has. In a world where love is weakness, can a contract marriage built on lies turn into something dangerously real… or will it consume them both? In this dark, steamy romance, hearts will break, rules will shatter, and love might just ruin them.

For eight years in a marriage devoid of light, I had abortions five times. Every time, Sam would grip my hand when I woke up, his eyes red, and promise to find the best doctors to help me recover. After the third miscarriage, he finally hired a team of top-tier nutritionists, ensuring that every single meal was planned perfectly. He always comforted me, "Don't worry, Penny. We're still young, so we can have another baby!" When I found out I was pregnant again, snowflakes were dancing outside my window. I wrapped my fur coat tightly around my body and rushed to the company, only to hear Wren's furious voice outside the VIP suite, "Are you insane? Those five babies were your own flesh and blood!" Sam replied coldly, "Nicole needs specimen for her experiments. All I'm doing is providing her with the materials she needs." His words dug into my heart like icy spikes, and I could even hear my own bones cracking. "As for Penelope…" He chuckled. "Do you think that our marriage certificate is the real deal?" Snowflakes stung my face like needles, and I finally found out the truth about our marriage. From the very beginning, I was nothing more than a living test subject for the woman he truly loved. Sam was right. Those unborn children never even had legal identities, and were worth less than a piece of paper, just like my so-called marriage. Glass shattered from inside the room, and I could hear Wren cursing, but I turned and walked towards the elevator. Since Sam's priority was Nicole and nothing else, I was hell-bent on making him pay the price.

Jake has to get married in order to access his inheritance and his father’s company. There’s one problem, he’s a playboy and the thought of settling down with someone unnerves him. With the help of his best friend, Kyle, they set up a marriage contract which entails that he’ll be married to whichever girl of his choosing for just a year then the marriage would be dissolved and they would go their separate ways. The girl chosen would be compensated generously with lots of money, which was what Olivia needed more than anything. Olivia sees the ad but is not sure if that was what she wanted for herself. After a little persuasion, she signed the contract with Jake knowing there was no chance of her falling in love with the billionaire because she liked girls. Just a year and she would be free to live her life again, with lots of money this time. Jake marries Olivia and couldn’t be any happier because he could still see a lot of girls and not have to worry about her nurturing any kind of feelings for him. A couple months in and Jake finds himself falling in love with Olivia as he sees a side to her that she hides away from the world.

Priscilla Gard, a newly certified law consultant has recently applied for a job in the top ten companies in Toronto— including the number one company— Southerford INC, run by none other than the MOST ELIGIBLE bachelor in the country— Gerrard Southerford. What happens when she gets the job in Southerford Inc. that not even professionals get easily, to work next to the hot, mysterious Gerrard Southerford? Will something magical happen, or will she just be another name on his long list of ex’s?

I've planned seven wedding ceremonies in total, and not once has my fiance, Zachary Gardner, ever shown up for it. The first time, his adopted younger sister, Louise Foster, bursts into tears because she lost her passport at the airport. It was the dead of winter, but he dumped me by the side of the road and left me. The second time, Louise's dog sprained its ankle. Zachary stuffed the ring back into its box and rushed to the animal hospital to accompany her. Every time I argue with him about it, he declares nonchalantly, "We can get married anytime, but I can't let Louise be upset." Everyone around us agrees with him, saying that we're all family anyway, so I shouldn't be so petty. None of them has seen Zachary and Louise kissing fiercely on the dance floor. Today is the seventh wedding ceremony. Once again, he turns to leave after getting a call. I grab the corner of his shirt and say in a choked voice, "If you leave this time, Zachary, I won't marry you anymore." He stops in his tracks and peels off my fingers. "Wait for me," he says before rushing off. What he doesn't know is that this time, I won't be waiting for him any longer.

Once upon a time, Leonard truly loved me. In order to establish a Mate Bond with me, he confessed 99 times. On the 99th time, I was finally moved. On the day of our Marking Ceremony, I gave him 99 forgiveness coupons. I promised him that I would forgive him 99 times. As long as he still had coupons left over, I would forgive him and stay with him no matter what he did. We were bonded for six years. In the first five years of our Mate Bond, I rarely ever used the forgiveness coupons. Since his childhood friend Judy returned, however, I started burning through the coupons. When I tore up the 98th coupon, Leonard noticed that I had changed. I no longer made a fuss or fought him over Judy. I simply asked him calmly, “If you go to Judy, can I use up one forgiveness coupon?” Leonard paused and then recovered his cool. “Sure. I only used up slightly over half, so use another if you want.” I stayed silent as he left the house. As it turned out, he had no idea he had just lost his 98th coupon. He only had one chance left. After that, I would leave him forever.

Seventeen-year-old Harper Lane has always flown under the radar. A curvy, quiet junior with a passion for sketching dragons and acing calculus, she’s the kind of girl people borrow notes from but never invite to parties. That’s fine by her—Harper has no time for popularity contests or high school heartbreaks. Until he starts talking to her. Jaxon Brooks is Madison Grove High’s golden boy—star quarterback, arrogant heartthrob, and very much taken. He’s everything Harper avoids... and everything she secretly can't stop watching. But when fate—and an unfortunately timed biology assignment—forces them together, Harper discovers there’s more to Jaxon than flawless abs and Instagram fame. He’s been watching her too. Caught between late-night texts, hallway tension, and the spotlight glare of Jaxon’s cheerleader girlfriend, Harper is suddenly drowning in attention she never asked for and feelings she doesn’t know how to handle. And Jaxon? He’s playing a dangerous game—torn between the girl who fits his image and the one who sees through it. In a world where likes mean love and screenshots can ruin lives, Harper must decide if risking everything for Jaxon Brooks is worth the heartbreak... or if some boys really are Out of Her League.

We’d been together for seven years, but during that entire time, my fiancée rejected the idea of getting married ninety-nine times, all because of a male intern. The first time, she canceled our vacation at the last minute, saying the intern was stuck on a night shift and afraid of the dark. She got on a flight that very night and rushed back to the hospital. The second time, we were already halfway through the doors of the courthouse to get our marriage registered. But just then, she got word that the intern had collapsed from exhaustion. Without a second thought, she left me standing alone in the snow for the entire day. After that, it became a pattern. Every time we were together, the intern would find some excuse to pull her away. Eventually, I made up my mind to let go. I stopped dreaming about a happy marriage with her. However, just when I announced I was transferring to another city, she broke down, begging me, almost hysterically, not to leave.

I dated my lawyer boyfriend for five years. He canceled our wedding. Fifty-two times. First time? His intern messed up some paperwork. He ditched me at the beach to fix it. I waited all day. Alone. Second time, we were mid-ceremony when he bolted. Heard that intern was getting heat from another lawyer and left me to face the guests and their stares. After that, every time we tried again, there was always some "emergency" with her. Always. I finally hit my limit. I was done. Packed up and broke it off. But the day I left Ainsley? He totally lost it trying to find me.

Zoe was framed, forced to marry with Mociya. Married him for three years, she was very loyal to love him for three years, but still couldn't compete his first love. This leads to the death of Zoe's father and child died one after another... Mociya thinks he is hating Zoe, until Zoe turns to leave, Mociya then finally knows that he had already fallen in love with this woman long time ago. "Let's be together again! I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Zoe sneers, "Mociya, why do you think I will wait for you in the same place as long as you look back? The rest of my life is very long, but without you!