Things We Left Behind

On the night of our ninth wedding anniversary, my husband—Damian Grant, the man who ruled the mafia by day and once ruled my heart by night—did not bring me roses. He gave the bouquet that should have been mine to Serena Lane, his personal assistant. Beneath the chandelier where we once danced on our wedding night, he turned to me with that same cold charm he once used to whisper sweet nothings in my ear. “She's pregnant.” Finally, everything fell into place. “She's a picky eater. From today onward, you’ll cook three meals a day for her. And no repeats. “She’s sensitive and hates sleeping alone, so you’ll need to move your things into the guest room.” The room fell silent. I did not raise my voice, nor did I shed a single tear. I simply picked up my packed suitcase and walked to the door. The butler tried to stop me, but Damian did not even blink. “She’ll come back.” He lazily swirled the wine in his glass. “She’ll come back crying and begging within three days.” Our guests burst out laughing. They placed a million-dollar bet right in front of me. They were betting on whether I would be back before the night was over, begging Damian to let me back in like a pathetic stray dog with my tail between my legs. However, they did not know I had already received the family heirloom from my real father. I booked my flight to get far, far away from everyone I used to know. This time, I really left.

An anonymous girl is seen running away from men who are behind her like wolves, amidst the darkness of the valley and the gleaming moon. Panting, gasping for breath she reached for her shield huffing. As she saw his silhouette she felt relieved and started to run to him to find warmth in his embrace. As she stepped closer to him, the men stopped. Suddenly she heard his voice which made her steps stall and her heart crack. "Stop! Don't come near me" She felt her bleeding heart slashed by his stern words. She expected his comfort to surround her and his love to transcend her plight, but neither happened. Eventually, her demons overcame her as her feet began to give way. Her bruised body started to feel twice the pain as before. "You don't trust me" she muttered and let the darkness lull her to sleep. It's difficult to say what led her to give up: the same distrust from her loved ones twice, or the fact that she was the favorite victim of all the bad luck. ****** Hailey is a nerd, anti-social and awkward. Her striking orbs were hidden behind rimmed spectacles and her curvy figure was hidden behind her oversized hoodies. During high school, she was the most famous person in college. What changed? Enter Mark Anderson, the hottest guy in college. Girls swoon over him and boys envy him but does he give a damn? Naa! He isn't a playboy or a bookworm. He is just the man of dreams. His plan is simple. He is saving himself for the queen of his heart. His parents were his role models. Their love was the ideal example for him and he wanted something like that. Magical. What happens when they meet? ******

It has been 8 years but Hailey Greene was still haunted by her past. The past that she dreaded the most. It wasn't her intention to hurt Nick Smith, the love of her life but due to her family's debt she has no choice but to sacrifice everything even the love she had for him. Moving on, Hailey left without a word, bringing only good memories of them together. And who would've thought that leaving Nick will eventually lead her to a life that she never knew existed. A life of motherhood. And to that, she felt reborn. And years passed, she met an old friend, Mikan Grey, Nick's best friend. Mikan learned everything about her, even Annie as Nick's daughter. They would meet every now and then. Mikan always had this thing with Hailey but he knew that he couldn't replace Nick in her heart. He wanted to give Hailey and Annie a good life which led to a marriage proposal. Hailey would always shrug off the thought of Mikan's proposal but Mikan would always say that he just wanted Annie to have a good life and that its been three years since Hailey and Nick saw each other. And that's why here they are getting married not because she had moved on but because this is what's best for Annie. There's no better man than Mikan, she thought. But the idea of seeing Nick again after three years, gives her shivers. Will everything change if they meet again?

At our college graduation, my fiance suddenly proposed to Lillie Stewart, my best friend, in front of everyone. I became a joke in front of everyone. Right after Lillie accepted my fiance’s proposal, Lloyd Becker, heir to the biggest mafia family on the West Coast, publicly said he loved me. Lloyd was known in the mafia world for being serious and never getting involved with women. So, when he showed an interest in an orphan like me, it made the news. We got married, and for five years, he was so sweet and treated me like a princess. But one day, I accidentally overheard him talking to his friend. “Lillie is already set to become the future lady of the Gacira family. Are you really going to keep the act up with Nelly?” “If I can’t have Lillie, it doesn’t matter who I marry. As long as I’m with Nelly, Lillie can live peacefully.” He even gave Lillie the symbol of the Becker family’s lady. He helped Lillie build her career while letting me fade into the background. After five years of marriage, I finally understood. On our fifth anniversary, I pretended to die in a shooting so he could be with the woman he truly loved. But instead of being happy, Lloyd completely broke down.

The wedding had reached the part where we were supposed to exchange rings, but my fiance wouldn’t say those two simple words: "I do." It was because his past love had just announced her breakup an hour ago. The post on social media included a picture of a plane ticket, the landing time just one hour away. My brother suddenly stepped forward and announced to everyone that the wedding would be delayed. Without a word, they both left me standing there, turning me into a laughingstock. I calmly dealt with everything, glancing at the new social media post from his past love. In the photo, my brother and fiance were standing around her, offering her the best of everything. I laughed bitterly and dialed my parents' number. "Dad, Mom, I'm willing to come home and marry into the Sanford family."

An accident that killed her father made Valerie always overshadowed by fear and terror. She managed to get through the traumatic period with the help of a psychiatrist and got on with her life well. She wants to live as normal as women in general; experience romantic love stories like in books and so on. That hope began to come true with George in her life. However, it was not as beautiful as she dreamed. Nine blue candles. This scared her very much. Someone suddenly became close to her and she trusted him because he helped her. Someone else looked suspicious to her. But what does Valerie have to do with all this? Who are they… who is he?

Her world collapsed when she received a divorce text on her wedding anniversary and then her husband went ahead to pretend he didn't know her. Miguel Valente, heir to one of Spain’s most ruthless conglomerates ended their secret marriage with a single text. The same night, she lost everything… including the child she thought he wanted. Two years later, Inés wakes in a foreign alleyway, broken and alone until a stranger saves her. Emilio Cortez, the charming Italian heir with a gentle touch, nurses her back to life. With him, she rebuilds her life into a woman the world would never again break. But fate isn’t done with her. At a glittering gala, her past and present collide when Miguel colder, darker, and untouchably powerful stands before her again. He claims he never betrayed her. Emilio vows he will protect her from him. And Inés? She’s caught between two men, one fire one that burned her alive, and one that promises to consume her whole. As lies unravel and hidden truths surface, love turns into war. But Inés is done been chosen, she will now do the choosing. And in the end, only one heart will survive the fire.

Kitty experienced a career change from office worker to a housewife in three years. She and her husband Ken were preparing to start a family until Kitty got tangled in a heap of trouble.-befriending her blackmailer, Leah, triggers a chain of events forcing Kitty to turn into the person she hates.

Jadeshola Badmus is not your regular female lead. She's Outspoken, Brilliant, Sassy, beautiful, intelligent and is the president of the Literary and debate team. What's more, she comes from a very wealthy family and is the head girl of her school, Lakeview High, one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The only bad luck for her comes in the form of the golden star boy of the school, Uthman Gbadamosi, her arch rival in debating, the school's head boy, football team captain and the crush of many girls in school except Jade of course. The two are thrown together after a brief encounter and they found themselves developing feelings for each other admist family breakdown, friend's betrayal, failed tests and missed opportunities. This book basically follows the lives of the finalists at Lakeview High as they maneuver their way to become better adults in the seemingly ugly world.

Jude Queens never believed in fairytales—until Malachi Flynn crashed into his world with a grin like summer and a spike that could stop time. Bound by their shared love for volleyball, their chemistry burned bright and fast, leaving everything else in the shadows. But just as Jude opened his heart, Malachi vanished without a word. Two years later, Malachi returns—older, familiar, and still devastatingly magnetic. The moment they lock eyes, the ache returns. So does the desire. But buried beneath Malachi’s smile are secrets that could shatter them both. Torn between anger and longing, Jude must decide: can he forgive the boy who left him in pieces, or is some pain too deep to heal? “Why Did You Leave Me When I Needed You Most?” is a sizzling, tender story of second chances, the scars we carry, and the hope that love—real, soul-deep love—can echo back stronger than before.