When Things Fall Apart Book Pema Chodron Novels & Stories

Elena Bennett, the illegitimate daughter of the Bennetts, was never supposed to matter. The unwanted daughter of a powerful family, hidden away like a dirty secret. But one night—one reckless, alcohol-soaked night—changed everything. Elias Vanguard, billionaire bad boy, notorious womanizer, and a man with enough family drama to sink an empire. Their drunken encounter becomes front-page news, and suddenly, they’re both drowning in a scandal neither of them wants. His solution? A fake marriage to clean up his reputation. Her motivation? The chance to finally claw her way out of the shadows and show everyone who they messed with. But playing house with a man who treats her like dirt wasn't part of the fantasy. Elias brings home his mistresses like it’s nothing, and with every insult, Elena’s heart cracks a little more. Until one day, he shoves divorce papers at her—because his precious mistress is supposedly pregnant. Elena signs the papers, disappears, and rebuilds herself from the ashes. Five years later, she’s a tech powerhouse, running the biggest company in the States, raising her son alone. Meanwhile, Elias is down on his luck, crippled from an accident, and abandoned by everyone he thought he could trust. When fate brings their worlds crashing together again, Elias isn’t the man he used to be. And Elena? Well, she’s the woman he should’ve never let go. But with betrayal, heartbreak, and an empire of her own to protect, forgiveness isn’t on her list of priorities. He wants her back. But this time, Elena's playing by her own rules.

Lisha is a young woman trapped in a marriage arranged by her father, Mr Wellis, who views her union as a business transaction rather than an act of love. Despite pleading not to marry, her wishes are ignored. On her wedding day, Lisha runs away in search of freedom and falls in love with Dave, a bakery owner and the son of her family’s maid. Although they come from different social backgrounds, their love grows strong, and Lisha sacrifices her wealth to marry him. However, on the night of the wedding, Lisha makes a blood oath under a sacred tree believed to grant desires of the flesh. Instead of bringing happiness, the oath becomes her downfall, trapping her in spiritual bondage. As her marriage begins to suffocate her, Lisha once again longs for freedom. She seeks help from a spiritual healer, who warns her that the oath cannot be undone. Desperate to escape the marriage and the curse, Lisha considers killing Dave as the only way to break free. Dave eventually finds out about Lisha’s plan. This leads him to strike before Lisha stokes him. Both husband and wife plot death against each other however will this bring doom to their marriage or will they choose to rekindle their love?

Grayson Wyatt is the live-in son-in-law of one of the richest families in the country. He is despised by everyone around him because he is poor and picked on by his in-laws for the same reason. Things take a turn for the worse when his sister is rushed to the hospital after overdosing. He soon discovers his wife has been cheating on him and gets sent to jail after being framed for domestic violence. Just when it looks like things would keep getting worse, he is bailed out of jail and discovers that he's the heir to a billion dollar inheritance. But then the will comes with an extra clause. He would have to get married to a girl he has never met before.

[ A Beauty & the Beast retelling ] Anyone can ask for a favor from Fortune 500 pharmaceutical heiress, Camille Delacourt―who has the city of New York wrapped around her perfectly manicured fingers and rules it with an iron fist. Dealing out social ruin and favors in equal measure; every request comes at a cost, and once done, you'll forever be in her debt. But when a seemingly crude Italian business mogul who claims he is looking to expand into American markets arrives with a proposition that she can't turn down, things take a sudden twist. Because there's always room to fall, and all is fair in love and war.

This novel focuses on the story of a young woman by the name Meekey. She found herself in the world of drug trafficking which led to her life being ruined.

My cousin, Monica Newman, turned down a blind date with a rich guy and insisted on marrying a broke kid instead. She begged me to steal her papers from my aunt so that she could get her way, yet two years after the wedding, she ended up killing me. She said it was all my fault that she had married an average guy and spent every day stressing about money. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the same day Monica was to meet that rich guy for the blind date. This time, I told her, "How do you know he's wrong for you if you won't even give him a try?" Since she blamed me for ruining her dream of marrying into money in my last life, this time, I would give her exactly what she wanted.

Natalie Brooke asked me to cook dumplings for her stepfather, Michael Sawyer. When the dumplings were knocked over and burned Michael's hand, she assumed that I was being disrespectful to an elder. So, she ordered the bodyguards to put me into a large pot, saying she would boil me until I was cooked as punishment. "Since you burned Michael, I will make you pay the price!" The water in the pot grew hotter, causing my whole body to be scalded red. All I could breathe was the scorching steam. I desperately pounded on the lid, but it had long been locked. I screamed in despair as I clawed the edges with all my strength. Blood overflowed from the pot and dripped onto the ground, but no one cared. Just before I succumbed to death, I summoned the system and yelled, "I want to go back! I refuse to save Natalie. I don't care if she becomes a vegetable!"

Dr. Ivy Monroe has her life planned down to the minute and falling in love isn’t on the list. But when a once-in-a-lifetime research grant for couples opens up, she realizes she’s missing one key thing: a partner. Desperate, she convinces Lake Hart, a carefree filmmaker in need of quick cash, to pose as her husband for the summer. The two opposites enter a couples’ retreat in the mountains, pretending to be madly in love. Between the awkward therapy sessions, forced intimacy, and their one-bed cabin, their “fake” marriage starts to feel dangerously real. Ivy fights the growing pull between them, while Lake begins to see through her walls — and into her heart. As summer fades, so does the line between truth and lies. But when their secret is exposed, Ivy risks losing both her career and the man who made her believe in love again. Months later, in autumn’s quiet beauty, she gets one last chance to tell Lake the truth — that their love may have started as pretend, but it’s become the most real thing in her life.

Jada prayed and asked God to provide a miracle that would be a solution to her family’s problems. They had always been poor, but this was the worst situation they had ever been in. Her father had to be taken to the hospital two weeks ago, and she had become the sole provider for their home. Marilou had given them what money she had that she could to help, but she wasn’t exactly rolling in money herself. The young girl had a huge responsibility placed upon her shoulders, but she was determined not to lose their home or have the children sent to foster care. She had been waiting tables and using her tips to buy gas and groceries, but it was barely enough most days. Her paycheck had not been enough to pay all the bills since her father had let them get so far behind. Mrs. DeRoya cleared her throat, signaling that she would answer the girl. “Miss Pence, I only had one child, my son Brayden here. My husband was also an only child. So, unless Brayden produces an heir, our bloodline here in the United States is lost. What we need is a surrogate to carry the child. If you sign the contract, when the child is born you will receive one million dollars to take your siblings and go have a good life,” she said, staring at her without emotion.

Adam Harun Saguna was one of the heirs to the AS Corp, the business empire of the Saguna family. He was pressured by his mother to immediately bring to her a prospective daughter-in-law of equal standing with their aristocratic family. A tragedy made Adam meet Bianca Savitri. This young woman grew up in an orphanage. Intrigued by her personality, Adam secretly sent Bianca flowers each day and began to fall in love with her. Even under the dilemma, Adam wanted to pursue Bianca, which clearly did not meet her mother's requirements. Would Bianca receive Adam's love? And how was Adam's struggle to win his favour?