Two Steps Forward And Three Steps Back

Two months into my cold war with Sean, the lover he’d been keeping finally danced her way right up to me, the real deal. Everyone expected me to react the same way I always had before, kicking up a huge scene to stake my claim. Instead, I looked at the intimate photos of Sean and her in the group chat, smiled, and sent them my blessing. [Looking good. Wishing you two a long and happy life.] The chat went dead silent. Sean must’ve sobered up from his little paradise because in the middle of the night, he drove home and pounded on my door. He was furious. “Do you think this is funny?” However, I only met his gaze calmly. “Honestly, after all these years, none of it is.”

My mom is critically ill. Before she passes away, she wants to see me married. It takes 27 days of pleading before my boyfriend, Kyle Grayson, says yes. I wait at the city hall until the doors close, but he never shows up. That same day, his childhood sweetheart, Ruby Callahan, posts their marriage certificate online. "Time flies. Three days more and we'll be a month in." Only then does it hit me. The very first day I begged, Kyle was already Ruby's husband. Right then, a text from Kyle lights up my phone. "Holly, Ruby's family was pushing her into marriage. I couldn't stand by and watch her marry just anyone and ruin her life. We'll be divorced in three days. I'll marry you then." Three days later, he shows up at the city hall in a suit. But all he gets is a text from me. "Goodbye for good, Kyle."

"I don't belong to anyone," Brenda said, taking a step back. "You're mine, and you're always going to be mine," Damien replied, leaning closer and whispering in her ears. "Then show me you love me," she bit back. "Show me you—" His lips crashed into hers immediately as he pinned her to the wall. He let all his desires out as he claimed her lips hungrily. ****************************************** All her life, Brenda Williams has done everything her father asked. Because of his gambling excesses, she is forced to work tirelessly in school for her family. But when her father orders her to marry a mafia lord twice her age because of his debts, she doesn't find it hard to run away. Unfortunately, she is roped into another marriage with another ruthless mafia lord before she can bat an eye. Consumed with burning questions and a threat to her life, she struggles with the unfound hatred from her new husband. This unleashes a series of dangerous games, kidnap threats, burning emotions, and family secrets that lead Brenda to one question: WHY HER? Will she be able to figure out the real reason behind her sham marriage, or will she run out without turning back? Can she escape three mafia lords who want her for different reasons?

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.

After sacrificing her inheritance to become the underdog and secretly helping her fiance's career with all her family asset to become the top CEO. Dione Sterling risks her own life and gave her kidney to her fiance, resulting to her health deteriorating fatally. Only to watch him choose the manipulative secretary in barely two months, who stole credit for her sacrifices. Rising from the pit of rejections and betrayal, Dione reclaims her inheritance and identity. But when Aldric discovers who she really was and finds out the real truth about her sacrifices, will his desperate attempt at reclaimation buy his loss back? Or should he have fled for his life when she said... " You only have three chances left and when those chances are used. I will come back and take back everything I ever gave. And I won't stop until you return to the nothing you were before I met you."

Elisa, an orphaned omega, no longer believes in love because her mate, the pack's leader, cheated on her. She only wanted to live her life alone, not wanting to share the mate bond with anyone. However, the moon goddess had other plans for her, and she discovered that she has three mates. Her three mates, who were Alphas of various packs, added to the tension. domineering, controlling, and intrusive—yet insanely attractive. What happens when she lives under the same roof with all three of them?

My husband asked me if bras were more comfortable without underwire, and I was happy that he had finally become more mature. The next day, his assistant snatched the parcel I received in the mail, saying that it had the wrong address. That night, I saw Samantha Davis post on her social media, with the caption, “My boyfriend bought this for me. Isn’t it pretty?” It was a selfie taken in a hotel mirror, and there was a beautifully decorated box containing a bra lying beside her. So, as it turned out, it was not that men became mature later in life, it was that you weren’t the one they were willing to become mature for. Naturally, I gave the post a like and took a screenshot before sending it to my husband. "What a waste. You could have gotten an 20% discount if you bought the whole set."

My wife was a surgeon. She saved plenty of lives in her career. However, the only person she failed to save was me. When I was involved in an accident with her long-time crush, she immediately saved him instead. I had been dead for three months, and that was when she realized the person who had been messaging her during this time was not me and started to panic.

I've been with Hansen Fullerton for seven years. One day, he tells me he's sick of me and dumps me for a younger, more vivacious woman. I don't kick up a fuss this time. Instead, I throw away my ring and cut up the wedding gown I've just bought. Then, I take a red-eye flight away from Gold City. His friends place bets on how long it'll take for me to return and beg for reconciliation. Hansen sneers. "She'll be back in less than three days, crying and begging me to take her back." However, more than three days pass without any news from me. Hansen loses his cool and calls me for the first time. "You'd better come back once you've had enough of this, Christine." All he hears is a man's low chuckle on the other end of the line. "You shouldn't have taken this long to pacify a woman, Mr. Fullerton. Look at how someone's already taken her away from you." Hansen snarls, "Tell Christine to answer the phone!" Landon Shore lowers his head to kiss me. "She can't—she's still out of it. I have to kiss her awake first."

I kept our marriage a secret for three years, enduring every sneer as her VP while helping her build her empire. Tanya Cox rose from a scorned, illegitimate daughter to a revered CEO. She once nestled in my embrace and promised to be open about our relationship when the company went public. I waited year after year. Even when our child was born, she still hadn’t made good on her word. One day, I pressed for a timeline. However, Tanya simply put the baby in my arms. “Callum, things are complicated at the moment. The disclosure will only hurt the stock price. I gave you a child. Isn’t that enough?” Alas, when her childhood friend, Gavin Nolan, returned from abroad on New Year’s Day, he took the seat of honor during our newborn’s sip and see event. Gavin, cradling my baby girl, accepted well-wishes from friends and family with a smile. “Don’t take things the wrong way. The right etiquette probably slipped his mind since he’s been away for so long. He’s only sitting there to keep the baby entertained. That’s all. Don’t read too much into it. “We’ve always been close since childhood. He’s going to be the godfather of our child. Don’t tell me you’re jealous of him.” Beaming, I raised my glass as a toast to Gavin. Tanya was wrong. I wasn’t at all jealous. Heck, I was done with her.