Twenty Eight

When my colleagues find out that I'm pretty good at cooking, they start organizing dinners at my place. Lucy Holt, one of the junior accountants, suggests that we split the groceries evenly between us. As a result, I don't think I can reject their request without being rude. On my last day of work, the group gathers at my place for one last meal. "You're such a good cook, Jess! We'll all be transferring you 500 dollars later. It's just a token of our appreciation," Lucy declares with a bright smile. But the very next day, she sends me a message. "Hey, Jess. You know it's illegal to operate an unlicensed catering business from your home, right? Your house will get sealed off for further investigation. More importantly, the value of goods has passed the threshold of 10,000 dollars, which means the fine you'll have to pay is probably going to be about 20 times that amount. "Since we worked together, we decided not to report you to the authorities. We'll just settle this matter privately. All you have to do is give us the fine you would've had to pay instead." This is how I realized that, combined with yesterday's meal, the total amount they've given me for groceries thus far is exactly 10,001 dollars.

For three years, we held a wedding in name only—my husband, Kit Rutgers, a pilot, canceled our marriage registration eighteen times. The first time, his female trainee, Katy Ferguson, had a test flight. I waited outside the county clerk’s office the whole day. The second time, he got a call from her mid-drive, made a sharp U-turn, and left me standing on the side of the road. After that, every time we planned to make it official, some crisis with Katy mysteriously arose. Eventually, I chose to walk away. But the moment I boarded a plane to Solara, he lost his mind—and chased me there.

This is a story of two close friends (Courtney and Judy) and the odds that meet them as soon as Courtney turns 18. They hope for a bright future together but have no clue on things that are yet to unfold in their lives.

One night, during a celebration with her brother's friends, Charlotte's parents announced that she was getting married. Even though there was no love between them, the wedding took place. After getting pregnant, Charlotte started to develop feelings for her husband, Elijah. However, she soon discovered that he was involved with another woman.

Hannah Perez had never been in a relationship before both of her parents were killed in a car accident. A family friend, the chairman and owner of an airline company, asked her to marry his grandson, Delta Empire's only heir. Her peaceful life turned upside-down after her wedding with Rafael. She learned that he agreed to marry her against his will in order to inherit the company of his family. He had no intention of staying with her and is still madly in love with Samantha, his ex-girlfriend and a famous model. Will Hannah, a 300-pound lady, and Rafael, a fastidious man who is constantly attempting to stay on top of things, find love in their loveless marriage?

I'd been engaged to Ivan since we were kids. When he went off to the military, I stayed behind—ten years of caring for his paralyzed mom, putting my whole life on pause. By the time he came back, I was at the age where most women were settling down. And he showed up with someone else. Ivan laid it out, stone cold: "Nadia's my comrade's widow. If you want to marry me, you'll have to accept her too. Most of my pay goes to her. I promised I'd take care of her. She gets first pick of everything in the house. Don't like it? Then forget about getting married." I looked past him. Nadia stood there, tears dripping down her cheeks, playing the poor little victim. Right then, I ended it. No drama. No regrets. Signed up for the Rural Teaching Support Program the same day. Left love behind. Threw everything I had into teaching.

“Breathe, Chloe. Just breathe,” Talon said, kneeling beside me. His voice was steady, his hands glowing faintly with a soft blue light as he pressed them to my back. “You're safe now. I gasped for air, coughing as I collapsed into Jett’s embrace. Kael crouched in front of me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Who did this to you?” he growled. “Tell me. My lips trembled, but no sound came out. “Was it Ezra Kane?” Jett asked, his voice low and full of danger. I nodded barely. “I’ll k*ll him,” Kael snapped . ************************************** They were the hottest triplets at Lockhart Academy. Dangerous, untouchable, and absolutely off-limits. Until they wanted me. I used to be invisible, the overweight, wolfless Omega everyone mocked. Rejected by my longtime crush Ezra in front of the whole school, humiliated by my stepsister Peyton, and ignored by the woman who raised me, I thought things couldn’t get worse. Then Peyton signed me up for the school play just to humiliate me, and somehow, I got cast as the female lead. Opposite Ezra. I wanted to disappear. Instead, I ended up in the arms of three powerful Alpha hybrids: Kael, Talon, and Jett. They saved me when I was at my lowest and took me away as payment for a debt tied to a curse only I can break. They say my bloodline is rare. That I’m special. But all I’ve ever been told is that I’m not enough. Now I’m living in their mansion, rehearsing for a play I never wanted to be in, and trying not to fall for the three boys who swear they’ll protect me. I was supposed to be their burden. So why do they treat me like I’m theirs?

She never belonged in his world, and he never wanted her in it. When Nora lands a job at the prestigious Sterling Capital Enterprises, she knows it’s her one chance to escape poverty and prove that success isn’t just for the wealthy. But when a secretary’s mistake places her under the cold, dismissive, and dangerously handsome billionaire Adrian Sterling, she realizes survival in his world will take more than determination—it’ll take everything she has. To him, she’s an inconvenience. To his father, she’s an embarrassment. And to the woman he’s supposed to marry, she’s nothing but a nuisance. Yet, no matter how much they clash, an undeniable pull keeps them from walking away. But when past wounds, family expectations, and an arranged marriage threaten to rip them apart, they’re forced to ask: Are they strong enough to fight for what they shouldn’t want? Or is the weight of them too heavy to bear? .

I was dumped because of my weight. My stepmother tried to comfort me, saying, "It's okay, it's okay. A little extra weight is good." I watched as my graceful sister took my place and married my fiancé. Meanwhile, I was sent abroad to be "fattened up like a pig." I barely escaped with my life and endured unimaginable hardships. Now, those who hurt me should, at the very least, face justice for their actions.

After I got a second shot at life, the very first thing I did was enroll in an intensive weight-loss boot camp. In my past life, my boyfriend was always on my case about my weight. He flat-out told me he wouldn't put a ring on it unless I got down to a hundred pounds. I tried every diet and workout plan out there—I pushed myself to the edge—but instead of losing, I packed on even more pounds. Meanwhile, my so-called best friend ate cheeseburgers, fries, and pizza like it was her job and still dropped from 130 pounds to a hundred in less than a month. The second she hit that magic number, my boyfriend's head turned. They started sneaking around behind my back. When I finally confronted them, they shoved me off a rooftop. It wasn't until after I died that I discovered the truth: my "best friend" had linked herself to a weight-transfer system. Every single pound I struggled to lose went straight to her. And every ounce of fat she should have gained? It landed right back on me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day my boyfriend gave me his hundred-pound ultimatum. With every memory of my past life intact, I couldn't help but smile. My best friend wants to be skinny, does she? Well then, let's see how she likes being nothing but skin and bones. Let's see if forty-five pounds is skinny enough for her.