We Can Be Heroes

"Baby... please don't do this to me! We can fix it! Just please! please don't do this" I beg to him while his packing his things. "I'm sorry Sandra... but I can't.  I can't spend my life to you anymore. Don't make this hard to us, just let me go." He said without any expression to his face. " A-are you leaving me because she's back? Are you  going to throw everything we've been through,  for the fast four years of our marriage? Just b-because.... just because your first love came back? You're throwing me out because of her? " Pagtatanong ko sa mahinahong boses at habang pinapatatag ang sarili ko na 'wag mag- breakdown sa sagot na maririrnig ko mula sakaniya. Tumigil siya sa pag-iimpake at tumingin sa akin ng deretso na halos ikatumba ko. "Yes. Everyone said she's already dead, everyone lied to me. Everyone fool me! I wouldn't marry you if i just known she's still alive. I'm sorry... Sandra I hope you understand." Saad niya. Hindi ko man lang siya nakitaan ng pagsisisi o kahit awa man lang para sa akin para sa nagawa niya. Tang*na! ginawa niya akong rebound. Natawa ako sa mga sinabi niya, puno ng galit at sakit akong tumitig sa kniya at mapait na ngumiti. "So all this time I am just your rebound? all this time pinaniwala mo akong mahal mo ako ! Pinaniwalaan ko lahat ng mga sinabi mo, pinakita at pinaramdam mo, pati mga pangako mong hindi naman pala para talaga sakin! "Wala kang puso Jiro, hindi ka makatao... Pinag-sisisihan kong nakilala kita at nagtiwala ako sa'yo... at lalong pinag-sisisihan kong ikaw pa ang minahal ko."     Saad ko na punong-puno ng galit ngunit sa mahinahong boses at walang emosyong mga matang nakatitig sa kaniya.

Nagkaroon ng malaking pagkakautang si Laica kay Hendrick Montañez nang ang binata ang gumawa ng paraan upang maisalba ang buhay ng kanyang nakababatang kapatid. Isang bagay iyon na wala siyang kaalam-alam. Ang tanging malinaw kay Laica ay ang pagkamuhing nadarama ni Hendrick para sa kanya dahil sa pag-aakalang mas pinili niya ang pera kaysa sa relasyon nilang dalawa. Lumipas ang maraming taon. Nang muling magkrus ang kanilang mga landas ay naniningil na ang binata sa malaking halagang nagastos nito para sa kapatid niya. But how can she ever pay him if what he wants is for her to... marry him? Would she agree knowing that what he's offering is nothing but a contract marriage? That she needs to be his wife just for business purposes? Or she would take his offer, not only to pay her debt, but because deep inside, she's hoping that he loves her still? "Magiging asawa lang kita sa papel, Laica. We'll stay married 'til I get the company. Once it's done, we'll have an annulment. Don't worry 'cause it would be easy since I don't have any plan to consume our marriage..."

CONTRACTS AND SECRETS BY JET HERRERA Synopsis: "We keep on searching for a person whom we can spend our lifetime with, not knowing that they're just an inch away." -Captain Gerbacio Escalante Matapos mabigo sa pag-ibig ay gusto na lamang ni Antonia Buenafe na maging successful sa kanyang career. She’s doing fine until one pregnancy test and a double red line changed everything. Ginawa niya ang lahat para hindi malaman ng kanyang ex-boyfriend ang tungkol doon. Captain Gerbacio Escalante needs a bride. Hiniling ng kanyang lola na nasa ospital na mag-asawa na siya at ang gusto nitong pakasalan niya ay si Antonia. Ang problema, hiwalay na silang dalawa. Malapit na ring matapos ang kontrata ng pagtatrabaho nito sa kanyang opisina. Pero dahil ayaw niyang biguin ang kanyang lola, kinausap niya si Antonia at nagkaroon sila ng kasunduan. Kapalit ng malaking halaga ay magiging asawa niya ito sa loob ng isang taon. Naging maayos naman lahat ngunit isang umaga ay bigla na lamang itong hinimatay sa loob ng kanyang opisina.

"Get up, I'm hungry. Cook for me NOW!" The authoritative tone jolted me awake, not giving me a moment to freshen up or even change. We don't sleep side by side; he stays in the master bedroom while I occupy the guest room. He can't stand being near me. It hurts deeply when those words come from him, but it's a recurring pattern. I hurriedly made my way downstairs, still tying the robe around me. In the kitchen, I began preparing his breakfast. You see, I'm his secret wife. No one knows except our parents and a few friends. Since we got married, not a day goes by without him reminding me that he doesn't love me. Not a day goes by without him hurting me. But that's alright because, as I've mentioned, I love him so much that I'm willing to do anything just to earn his love in return. A single tear escaped and fell onto the clove of garlic I was chopping. I quickly wiped it away. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Manang watching me. I took a deep breath to regain my composure before turning to her with a forced smile. "I'm sorry; I got emotional over garlic." I lied.

"Oral? Rough nights? That's what I've become-the plaything of a man whose name echoes across Asia. We've done things in places where we could have been caught, places where his men could see us, and yet we didn't care. The only thing that mattered was quenching the fire raging inside our bodies. Free? No. Nothing is free anymore. Every desire, every twisted fantasy he wants to play out on me comes with a price-and he pays it without hesitation. Even when it's degrading, even when it crosses boundaries I once thought I had, I take it. No questions asked. But here's what keeps me awake at night: is this all I'll ever be? Are we bound to this cycle, trapped in this dangerous game forever?"

Ayon kay Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you—na siyang isinasabuhay ko. I only have my mother and my two friends, Charlynn and Reisha. My mother works for Charlynn's family. We are not really poor and definitely we're also not rich but we're living comfortably. Nevertheless, I am contented with my life. But, after meeting the man that I like, I started to dream for more. I started to ask for more just to equal his riches even though I know for sure that it was impossible. Life is meaningful. Full of life lessons, full of challenges, and battles that you need to surpass. Pero no'ng nawala sa akin si Mama, iyon ang hindi ko kinaya. Sinisi ko sa lahat ang pagkawala niya. Nagtanim ako ng galit sa pamilya na tinuturing kong pangalawa kong pamilya. And he was there, just accepting my madness. But, what if everything that I believed was all a lie? Paano kung lahat ng sinisi ko, maling tao? Would I be able to get to his life again? Or our memory will remain just like how we first met? Dark.

"Stop staring at me like that," nakatiim ang bagang na sabi ni Jass. "Hindi ako interesado sa 'yo at alam kong pati ikaw ay ayaw rin sa kasal na ito. So why don't we make an agreement about this fucking arranged marriage?" "No sharing of bedroom, no sex, no conversation at higit sa lahat walang pakialamanan sa isa't isa. We'll only pretend like we're sweet in front of our parents kapag nandiyan sila. Pero 'pag tayong dalawa lang, parang hindi natin kilala ang isa't isa. What about that? Hmm?" Tumango ako. "T-That's a good idea." But one time, nakita niya akong may kausap sa phone. Bakit bigla siyang nagalit sa akin?

Addison Bartolome, that is her name. She is a pediatrician in one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country - Anderson Medical Center, and not only that she is one of the busy doctors of the hospital. She has three friends that have a distinctive disposition that makes her make them her family. She is the Ms. Know-It-All in the group since her friends often approach her for advice. As she helps her friend, he met a mysterious man with a big problem. She forces him to tell him her problem so that she can help him. A man that she helped too, not knowing who he is and what he does. She cures little kids, she helps her friends through her advice, and she helps the man that she doesn't even know, but among those, she loves doing it. She already got what she wants in life. She became a doctor and has friends that made her family. What could possibly go wrong in her life? What more can happen in her so-called perfect life? Or is her life really what we called a perfect life? TAGLISH [The Women Series] © michiekelss

Rimiera, an island which was surrounded by two villages,a city, and a province. The village of the ceruleans, known as the Ice Tavern, the kingdom of charmers, named Charm city, the Raven domain of colossians, where night never leaves and the province of Leviathans, also known as Levi’s forest. I am a Leviathan, they told is that we are the strongest race. In our race, I am the weakest... I have an Unseen allure, I became invisible. Father once told us that one of his children will become the strongest. I am unlike my sister, she has a Shadow allure ability, she's the only one who has that allure; usually Ravens have that skill. Anyways, months have passed in the middle of the night, when everyone was fast asleep we were attacked by Colossians and Ceruleans. In our race, my sister and I were the only ones who have fled. We thought we are safe, but we are wrong. We were chased down, my sister was killed. I continued running for my life, I promised myself if I live longer, I will protect Rimiera and punished the Colossians and Ceruleans. My tribe was almost wiped out, we were hunted because of their greed for power and also the Colossians would rule. You were salvaged by a City where everyone thought you were weak, but everything changed. Doubts were erased and soon you're carrying everything on your shoulders. To prevent another hunting season... But if they notice that I am still alive, another hunting season might happen. I will tell you my story on how I will overcome this issue, how my tribe was wiped out and how I and my friends recreate Rimiera. I am Dane, the Last Leviathan.

There are dreams we've carefully planned with specific timelines, only to feel dissappointed when none of them come true. It's as if we've been pressuring ourselves, comparing our progress to others, and in the process, we forget to pause, breathe, and relax. For Danica Raven Pineda, every second counts. Vacation? She'd rather spend her time reading books and attending seminars. She's set high expectations for herself, and relaxation hasn't been a part of her plan. At times, we also need to allow ourselves exceptions-like falling in love with someone unexpected, such as the Conglomerate Samuel Dane Salvador. She adds a new chapter of her life-- the one that she did not looking foward for based on the timeline she has set on herself.