When You’re Gone Novels & Stories

The day my little brother had his asthma attack, I poured every drop of his nebulizer medication down the bathroom sink. When Mom burst into the bathroom, the empty bottle was still dripping in my hand. Cradling my gasping brother in her arms, she slapped me across the face so hard that my ears rang. "You're only eight years old! How can you be this evil? Would you finally be happy if he died?" I wanted to tell her that the medicine was not the right one. The bottle smelled like harsh, burning bleach. The new nanny, Sophia, had grabbed the wrong bottle from the cleaning closet. But Mom didn't let me finish. She grabbed my arm, dragged me into the unfinished walk-in closet and locked the door from the outside. "You can come out when you realize your brother's life is more important than your petty jealousy." Outside, Dad was screaming while rushing my brother to the ER. Inside, I mistakenly knocked my foot over a plastic construction bucket and a thick, toxic white liquid began to puddle over my bare feet. I clawed at the door gap with my fingernails, sobbing, begging for Mom. The next morning, the hospital called. They confirmed that my brother's medication was laced with industrial cleaner. That was the exact moment Mom finally remembered that the key to the closet I was locked in was still sitting in her purse…

Elara Moonstone is the only child of the late alpha, and after his death, she’s expected to take his place as leader of the pack. Growing up with her best friend, Rowan, Elara believes that their bond will last forever. Rowan promises her that if he ever finds his mate, he will reject her to stay with her. But when Rowan returns from a mission with a woman he calls his mate, Elara’s world is shattered. She feels betrayed by the one person who swore never to leave her. As Elara struggles with her heartbreak, she discovers she is mated to the mysterious king Luca who seems to understand her in ways no one else does, Elara also discovers she possesses power and must learn to control her growing strength. But as dark secrets about her past start to surface, Elara faces the challenge of saving everything she holds dear while navigating a future she never planned.

The night before our wedding, my fiancée let her so-called "best friend" butcher the gown my late mother had sewn, chopping it into a revealing mini dress. I rushed over with the ruined dress in my arms, ready to demand answers: only to catch their voices through the door: "Imagine him expecting me to wear something a dead woman stitched. What a curse!" Through the narrow gap, I saw my distant, frigid fiancée flushed with color, straddling his lap. "What we did at the bridal shop wasn't enough," she murmured. "Tomorrow, walking down the aisle in this tiny dress you made me, it'll be even more exhilarating." Their lips met. My hand froze against the door, and inside, something broke with a soundless crack. If she longed for thrills, I would grant her some.

In the tenth year of my diagnosis with selective mutism, my mother decided it was time to bring home a little brother for me from an orphanage. Her eyes immediately landed on a boy in the back row, but the head of the orphanage opposed without hesitation. "Ms. Lane, this kid has been nothing but trouble since he was small. Just two days ago, he made an old man on crutches play goalie. If you take him home, your life will never be peaceful!" I looked on without the slightest interest. My mother, however, was exhilarated. Pointing at the boy, she declared excitedly, "Then, he's exactly the one I want!" And suddenly, lines of bullet comments scrolled before me. 'The mom cracks me up. Her eyes practically sparkled like spotlights.' 'Our brooding female lead grew up friendless. Her mom's been worrying about that for years. Now she's found this rascal, there's no way she's letting go.' 'Honestly, fate is wild. The mom instantly picks her future son-in-law. In their past lives, the female lead died trying to save him. Now that they've both been reborn, maybe they'll finally get a second chance together.'

From Best Friends To Secret Lovers!! Rory and Todd have been best friends for thirteen years. They thought they knew every secret between them but a playful dare unlocked a lifetime of hidden feelings. It strips away the pretense and leaves only a burning, undeniable truth: They’re in love. But now they have to battle the outside world that is desperate to keep them as ‘best friends’

On the day Yara Cullen was released from prison, it was raining. A chilly wind carried the drizzle, striking her as the media swarmed the prison gates. "Ms. Cullen, in the Crestwood Estate sexual assault case, your client lost the lawsuit and took her own life six months ago. Her mother is demanding accountability. Do you have anything to say?” "Ms. Cullen, your attorney's license has been revoked, and your mentor was forced to retire. What are your thoughts on this?" No matter how the reporters pressed, Yara kept her head down and pushed forward, forcing her way through the crowd. A black G-Wagon was parked by the roadside, where Westley Langston leaned against the car, smoking a cigarette. Beside him, Elena Cullen tugged at his arm. He turned, glancing toward the prison gates.

Back when I was 20, I supported a girlfriend. I paid for her education and even found the best doctors for her mother, who had cancer. The sweet, brilliant girl stayed with me for four years. However, my family went bankrupt after my parents died. I even injured my eyes and broke my legs. I watched her have a heart-to-heart talk with her childhood friend, tears in her eyes. I left without a word, and she never sought me out. Years later, I saw her again while picking up trash outside a hotel. She had become a wealthy CEO and was about to marry her childhood sweetheart. Her gaze at me was cold and indifferent. I bitterly asked, "Do you still hate me?" Yet, with tears streaming down her face, she replied, "Yes… I wish you were dead."

After Josephine’s father died suddenly, she is forced to become the ward of powerful Lord Leven. As a new face many men are willing to do whatever they can to win her hand. She must find a husband to secure her future, but in a world of backstabbing and positional play will she settle for what’s safe or follow her love for a man she can’t have?

Lillian's world turned upside down when she caught her longtime boyfriend cheating. Fueled by anger, she sought revenge in a drunken one-night stand with a stranger, only to discover he was Ryan Sinclair, her new boss! Her real nightmare began when Ryan, who seemed more like a Greek god than a possessive devil, unwilling to let her go and started luring her into his twisted game. Now, she was struggling to keep her distance from her charismatic but dominating boss. Little did she know, there was a hidden secret behind his every move, and Lillian was in for a rollercoaster ride of intrigue and deception.

Diana is the eldest granddaughter of the Winchester Family. She has lived her 22 years of life as her twin, Chantal's shadow. She thought she has become immune to the hurt caused by her own family until one revelation revealed in anger, turned her world upside down. Thinking that she has lost the piece of home, she was proven wrong when a helping hand, led her to discover an amorous side of her. Lucas is the 30-year-old President of Forrest Research Institute and a descendant of one of the 7 great families in the country of Great Blackhampton. He has always been good at reading people's personalities so when this beautiful goddess of a woman gave him a look asking for help, he didn't hesitate. Their first meeting, their first kiss. She thought it only ended there, until they met two months later. She had never imagined meeting one of the descendants of the Great families, even more so meeting the heirs. Not only was she welcomed, they even became acquainted with her own friends. They never expected that Lucas and Diana's encounter was the beginning of love blooming for them as well.