Unwinding Captions

Charles Jansen's true love returns to the country in my seventh year with him. The first post on her social media after she lands is an intimate photo of them together. She captions it, "I'm glad we've come full circle." Only then do I find out the ring hidden in the living room isn't for me. Charles' proposal isn't for me, either. Suddenly, I feel exhausted.

Kaleya Asterin's kin was murdered at the dawn of the silver moon. That night, as the Bloodorb pack cornered her, she leaped into the raging waves of the ocean, only to awoke with her mind blank as a canvas. She was a stranger to herself and had no recollection of the past. Devoid of any memories, the events of that day took a turn for the worst when she found out that she would be executed the next thing in the morning, and the alpha who sent her a life sentence was none other than her mate. Being alone and with no one to aid, Kaleya will have to fight the power of the bond, and chambers of her heart, while slowly unwinding the truth etched in her shadowed past. "I do not need a queen or a Luna. I shall not usher one with blood-stained hands into my realm. Hence, your presence holds no place, for my kingdom seeks no affiliation with you.”

Five years ago, my junior made a mistake in the experiment, resulting in an explosion in the lab. In an effort to save my childhood friend, Andrew, I suffered severe burns to one side of my face and was falsely accused as the culprit. Just like that, I became the target of everyone's anger. Only Andrew stood by me, promising, "I love you for who you are, not your appearance. I'll always be there to protect you." But on our wedding day, he vanished without a trace. My mother, suffering from heart disease and barely clinging to life, wanted to see Andrew. When I asked him to come, he replied impatiently, "Are you using such a lame excuse to meet me? Don't you have any shame? Every time I look at your face, I feel disgusting." I pleaded desperately, but he calmly hung up. "Do you think I'm your servant? You can't just summon me whenever you want. Just because you saved me once doesn't mean you can blackmail me for life." My mother died without peace. The junior who slandered me back then later posted a photo on social media, showing a man lifting her effortlessly. Their poses were intimate, highlighting the underlying affection. Her captions read: [It's all his fault for tiring me out during the day. I almost missed out on this beautiful ocean. When you're in love, all is clear to see. I mentioned wanting to go to Belmar Island, and he flew me around the world for it.] I was utterly heartbroken, so I texted him: [Let's break up…]

My CEO wife insists on taking a young, fresh intern under her wing. She wants to train him personally. She says to me, "Don't overthink this. I just value his potential." She's always been stern and stoic, but she starts dressing in pink and pulling her hair back in high ponytails. On our third wedding anniversary, she and the intern even willfully disappear for 48 hours. When others are searching for her like mad, she shares photos of her riding a carousel and holding cotton candy. She captions them, "I found the purest of joys in the most joyful of places—all because of you!" Our company loses a huge project because of this, and I lose my wife. I slip a divorce agreement between the pages of the intern's application to become a permanent staff member. My wife signs it without even looking and says, "Knowing what Elliot can do, he's more than capable of carrying out the role of a vice president." I calmly hand her my resignation. "You're right. That's why I'll make way for him."

Lydia Martins, the smart kid at school, is the constant target of bullies like Emily, the wealthy businessman's daughter, who torments Lydia for getting perfect grades. After Lydia aces another test, Emily and her friends confront Lydia in the bathroom, calling her "Teacher's Pet" and accusing her of only succeeding because of the handsome, young Mr. Derek—the new English teacher. The girls tease and bully Lydia, claiming she's sleeping with Mr. Derek for good grades, before dumping a bucket of water over her head. Humiliated, Lydia soon finds photos from the incident circulating online with vile captions calling her a ‘Slut’ and the ‘Teacher’s Pet’. Enraged, she hatches a plan not to get back at her bullying classmates but to target Mr. Derek instead. She decides that if she can get him fired, the torment over her grades might finally stop.