Till Death Us Do Part

On the day of my birthday, my adopted sister, Juliette Griffin, and I get into a car accident. The flames are already licking me hungrily, and yet my fiance, Leon Sinclair, points at the front passenger seat. "Save Juliette first! She has a heart disease!" When I wake up, I'm completely disfigured. At most, I only have one month left to live. Later on, my family decides that Juliette will marry Leon on my behalf for the sake of our families' interests. Leon caresses my bandaged face with heartbreak in his eyes. He then vows to me, "Once you get better, the position of Mrs. Sinclair is still yours." I just smile and say okay. I even give all of my shares, properties, and my unpublished artwork to Juliette as her pre-wedding gifts. Just like that, Juliette becomes a famous artist by publishing my artwork. When the reporters interview Mom, she's so happy that she bursts into tears. "I'm so glad that Juliette isn't the one who got badly hurt in the accident! Otherwise, we'd have lost a genius!" Leon also announces in a high-profile manner that Juliette will be his one and only wife. But what they don't know is that the actual genius is gazing at them coldly from a corner. The things that I've voluntarily given away from the start are actually offerings meant for my vengeance.

After five years of being mated to Alpha Lucas, I finally got pregnant. Lucas and I were ecstatic, but five months into the pregnancy, I suffered an accidental miscarriage. The Chief Healer told me it was because my wolf was too weak. I couldn't handle the news and blacked out. The usually stoic Alpha couldn't stop weeping. I thought he was as devastated as I was. That was until I accidentally overheard his conversation with his Beta. "Alpha, why gag the healer? Luna clearly ingested Wolfsbane. Why aren't we hunting down the culprit?" Beta Marcus's voice was full of confusion. "We bury this." Lucas's voice was heavy with suppressed pain. "It was Isabella. She slipped Wolfsbane into Emily's tonic by mistake. Isabella suffered severe brain damage saving me three years ago; she has the mind of a five-year-old. She can't tell the difference between Wolfsbane and Moon Grass..." "She just wanted to help brew the tonic to help Emily get better, to make me happy. But if the Council catches wind of this, they will absolutely execute Isabella for murdering the Alpha heir." Ever since Isabella saved his life three years ago and became mentally regressed, she had shamelessly invaded our lives. On stormy nights, she would crawl into Lucas's bed wearing translucent lingerie, crying that she was scared, forcing Lucas to hold her all night while I was relegated to the guest room. He always said Isabella was brain-damaged, stuck with the IQ of a five-year-old, just like a child. He treated her like a sister and told me not to hold it against her. Since you loved your Isabella so much, I would grant you your wish. I picked up the private phone I hadn't used in five years. "I regret it. I'm willing to return to the Royal Pack. Come get me tomorrow." But when I truly disappeared, the once arrogant Alpha killed his precious Isabella and begged me to come back.

On the day my twin sister, Alexia Cavanaugh, and I turn 22, I collapse and find out that I have late-stage cancer. Ignoring the doctor's advice to be admitted, I walk out of the hospital. All I want is to spend one final birthday with my family without a single worry. But when I arrive at the party, a server stops me at the door and tells me the venue has been reserved exclusively for Alexia. Outsiders aren't allowed in. Through the glass, I watch as my brother holds a cake and my father places a birthday hat on Alexia's head. Even my boyfriend is there, smiling as Alexia makes a wish. I stand there for half an hour, gripping my phone, before my boyfriend finally answers my call. "I was just at the hospital. I—" He cuts me off. "Ophelia, you've always been healthy. It's Lexi's birthday today. We should talk later." Isn't today my birthday too? My mother died giving birth to me. The doctor later explained that I deprived Alexia of nutrients before birth, which left her frail from the start. And just like that, everyone decided I should always step aside for my twin, who was born five minutes before me. I ball up the report with my cancer diagnosis and toss it in the trash. I'm done letting their favoritism hurt me. I've never received their love anyway, so I choose to leave for good.

It was never the intention of Raphaela "Ella" Morales to die clumsily by crossing the highway to her favorite coffee shop and inadvertently crashing into a fast-approaching truck as a result. She was never suicidal and she loved living on Earth with her loved ones. But then the accident happened and all of her aspirations and goals in life were crushed in an instant. The handsome, dark, and hooded grim reaper named Eric was waiting for her after she died. Ella decided to take her chance and tried to convince him to let her live for the second time, and she succeeded. In return, she needed to give herself to him forever, even after death.

On the fifth year of our hidden marriage, I died on the operating table of a hospital belonging to Allen Jones. Before I died, I called him ninety-nine times, begging for help. The last time, he finally answered. His voice was heavy with impatience. "Enough already. First, it's pregnancy, now it's liver cancer. Can you stop making a scene? I'm exhausted from work. "Mia, when did you learn to lie? Do you know how disgusting you are right now? "I'm warning you—if you keep this up, I'll divorce you. Don't even think about coming back home until you admit you're wrong." But this time, I could never go back. Just before the call ended, I heard him comforting Sadie with a gentleness he had never shown me. "Don't be afraid. The surgery will be over soon, and you'll be fine. Once you're out, I'll take you to see your favorite movie and eat at your favorite restaurant. I promised you, and I'll make it all come true." After he hung up, I called him for the hundredth time. He didn't answer. Later, when Allen saw my body on the operating table, he broke down completely.

The proposal Aurora had dreamed of? A total sham. Just a stunt by her boyfriend, Marco, to make his first love, Sofia, jealous. The second she said, "I do," Sofia stormed in, tears and all, wailing that she'd changed her mind—that she couldn't let him marry someone else. And just like that, they were in each other's arms, celebrating their grand reunion. Meanwhile, Aurora stood there, the punchline to a cruel joke.

“You are barren and worthless. I want nothing to do with an infertile woman like you. Sign these divorce papers and get the bloody hell out of my house and my life!!!” He yelled, and that was all I needed to wake up from my foolish and stupid dream, coming to the realization that my husband despised me and there was no way I could make this work anymore. With shaky hands, I took a pen and signed the divorce papers. It was all over now. ***** She dedicated all her life to loving him, he was like a god to her and despite the obstacles she faced in their marriage, she was happy because loving him was enough for her, but what she didn’t expect was to be thrown out by the same man she dedicated all her life to. After getting cheated on and thrown out, Janette started her life anew, unknown to everyone that she was pregnant. She fought her way to the top and six years later, she is back with a handsome baby boy and her new lover. She thought her life was now on track, not until her ex-husband showed up and claimed he wanted her back. With his eyes filled with longing and regret, he muttered under his breath. “Dear Ex-Wife, Let Us Restart.” But is she ready to forgive and get back together with him when she now has someone, who loves her dearly? And what about her son, who now wants her to be with his daddy? What is she going to do about that? Each choice came with a price, and it was all hers to make.

He went blank in an instance. Seeing her walk towards his table makes him gone crazy. He wants to deny it but, he misses her. The exact same feeling he has for her six years ago. All kinds of emotions were crawling inside him, hatred, longing and fear, all mixed in one. She’s still the same exact person I used to know, the person I used to love. “Please be seated” she said, as she helps herself to sit. “… it’s been a while, how have you been A-chi?” she asks casually. “ Well as you can see, I’m all good until you come back… Tell me, kaya ka ba bumalik kasi wala ka na namang choice.” I can’t suppress sarcasm. “I may be that special to you, but I suggest you forget about the past, that would be better.” she said, as she sips from her glass. “Tell me, how am I suppose to forget when it was actually part of the reason why we were here, right now. Wow! I didn’t know you have the guts.” I said mockingly. “It was just a formality…” “O’o para sayo, kasi hindi ka nasaktan, hindi ka naiwan, hindi ikaw ang naka-miss limang taon sa buhay ng anak mo! And just so you know, I already have a fiancé.” I said in anger. “Do you love her?” I ask seriously. “Were you asking me that, because you were still confident na may feelings parin ako sayo?” I ask, because I found her unbelievable. “ If you were confident about yourself, you will give me an answer not a question. The fact that you ask me that, means you were shaken.” She said with a straight eye. “ You were still heartless!” I can not help to comment.

When Matteo Ricci threatens to end our engagement for the 100th time unless I take Lydia Capone's place in the famiglia's drug trial, I don't cry or make a scene. I just sign my name on the engagement termination agreement and calmly hand over the man I've loved for eight years to my twin sister. A few days later, Lydia storms the mafia summit like she owns the room, insulting the Pirelli family and daring anyone to stop her. I'm forced to step in and bear the full weight of her chaos. And now they're saying Lydia's body can't handle the trial after all, so they want me, the older sister, to take her place. The moment I agree, my parents smile at me for the first time in years. Even Matteo, who barely notices me, hovers nearby and murmurs, "Don't be afraid. The trial isn't lethal. When you get out, I'll take you for your favorite spaghetti alla Napoletana." But he has no idea that there's a late-stage stomach cancer diagnosis tucked inside my pocket. No matter what horrors the trial holds, he will never witness me walk out alive.