Why Are Hands So Hard To Draw

By my third month on the job, I discovered that my coworkers had been calling me "the old crow" behind my back. The nickname came from none other than Jace's condescending secretary—because at 32, I was still clutching onto an eight-year relationship that hadn't ended in marriage. I confronted Jace. "Do you know your employees have been calling me the old crow?" He didn't even bother to look up. "That's just Sadie—she speaks her mind and means no harm. You're 32; why get so worked up over what a young girl says?" Then he gave me a faint, mocking smile. "Though honestly, it's a pretty fitting nickname." It felt like a cold hand had wrapped around my heart. So that was it—eight years of my youth, nothing more than a joke to him. I turned and walked away, handed in my resignation, and blocked every way he could reach me. But for the first time, the man who had always seemed so calm and untouchable finally panicked. "Elara," he pleaded, "please come back."

Blanche Lucille Emerson, a relentless and calculating Captain haunted by the loss of her wife, Venus, in a mysterious accident. Now driven by a thirst for vengeance, Blanche navigates a world of secrets, betrayal, and political machinations as she digs into the layers of deceit that surround her family's powerful pharmaceutical empire. Alongside her, Yama Laine, a trusted ally, and Cessair, her estranged sister, reveal their own hidden agendas. Blanche uncovers a vast conspiracy linked to General Grey and an underground organization known as the Black Spectre, which her father, Silas Grey, once controlled. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes that not only her wife’s death but also her parents' and countless others' were orchestrated to protect a dark secret connected to her family. As Blanche takes calculated risks and enlists Yama’s help, her plan teeters between survival and self-destruction. Along the way, her encounters with spies like Aracelli and the revelation of her sister Cessair’s resentment deepen the conflict. Old alliances crumble, as personal motivations clash, and long-buried truths about her family and its ties to the Black Market come to light. All the while, Blanche's mind is torn between her mission and her lingering love for Venus. With a final showdown on the horizon, the question remains: Can Blanche take down the enemy and clear her family’s name, or will the weight of the past bury her alive? Catch-22: To Die is To Live Hard is a story of revenge, loyalty, and the heavy price of uncovering the truth.

The night before her wedding, Chelsea saw her sister whimpering in her fiancé's arms. She called the night escort service for s#x revenge. So he spends the night together under the influence of alcohol. Little does she know that the man she thought was a night companion, turns out to be Liam Shax, the narcissistic and spoiled CEO!

After an unexpected pregnancy, Silas Shaw, who had always avoided the topic of marriage, suddenly proposed to me. Overjoyed, I readily accepted. However, on the day of the wedding, I stumbled upon an unexpected conversation between him and his friends. "Are you really going to marry Chaldene just because of your child with Nora?" one of them asked. Silas was visibly irritated and full of disdain as he responded, "It's all because of my mother. She kept saying that Nora's family background wasn't good enough.” "If it weren't to give my child with Nora a better status, why on earth would I marry Chaldene?” "You have no idea how boring a woman like her is in bed. I got tired of her after sleeping with her twice."

Selena's life changed for the worse when her boyfriend, aunt, and cousin joined together to damage her position among the elite and take away her chance to become the CEO of her father's company. When they succeeded in ripping her world apart, Selena vowed to have her revenge one way or the other.Then she meets an alpha as stubborn as she is and accidentally becomes his mate.Is he the help she needs to get her payback or will he become another pain in her neck?"So what do you plan to do with them?" Gabriel asked."I want them all to pay with their wealth, happiness, and bodies!" Selena answered in tears, but Gabriel understood the hate in her words, and he loved it. Gabriel was a bit worried that the things he had planned for the Adler family may affect Selena's emotions negatively. But since he knew that they were now on the same page, he did not intend to hold back on the punishment that he originally planned for each of them. "Thank you for trusting and telling me. Since you are now my omega, your wish is my command.""Wait, what do you mean?" Gabriel did not answer. He stood up from his seat, approached Selena, and gently kissed her on her forehead before leaving the room.

For years, Erin has grappled with guilt since her high school classmate passed away. Under the influence of the friends she trusted, Daryl faced challenges that resulted in his tragic demise. Seven years later, Erin did not expect that fate would punish her further. In her stepfather's will, he decided that all their wealth would go to the Arvesso family, the same family that had lost a member before. Erin now found herself caught up in this arrangement. Perhaps that was her punishment—to be the wife of Orion, someone who harbored intense resentment towards her. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.

Ilang taon na nagdusa si Erin sa konsensiya nang mamatay ang kaklase nila noong high school. Nang dahil sa udyok ng kanyang itinuring na mga kaibigan, tinanggap nito ang dare dahilan para ito mauwi sa trahedya. Pitong taon pa ang lumipas at hindi niya inaasahan na lalo siyang parurusahan ng tadhana nang ilagay ng kanyang stepfather sa last will and testament nito na mapupunta ang lahat ng ari-arian nila sa mga Arvesso—ang miyembro ng pamilya na namatay noon—at kasama siya sa mga kasunduan. Iyon na nga siguro ang parusa niya ang maging asawa ng taong matindi ang pagkamuhi sa kanya, si Orion. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.

To save my husband, I drank until my stomach bled. Despite making it to the hospital, no one would treat me—all because he, a prominent surgeon, forbade anyone from attending to his own wife. In a previous life, he had saved me, a deed that fate cruelly repaid: the same day he saved me, his beloved, Lily Evans, tragically died during surgery. Consumed by regret, he lamented, "If I hadn't saved you, she might still be alive." On my birthday, in a twisted celebration, he intoxicated both me and our daughter. In a horrifying turn, he used his surgical skills to ruthlessly stab us both. As I lay bleeding, I begged for our daughter's life, pleading with him to spare her, his biological child. He coldly justified his brutality by claiming that being tied to me caused him to miss his chance with his true love. Fueled by a desperate need to protect my daughter, I fought him ferociously. He inflicted thirty-eight merciless wounds on me before turning his murderous intent towards our child. As I faced death, my last sight was of him, his decision clear as he once again chose his lost love over his living family.

Katherine Azuretha Garcia is not your typical high school student. Naniniwala siya na kung sino pa ang mga taong minamahal mo, siya rin ang sasakit sa iyo nang sobra. She proves that by what her parents and ex-boyfriend did to her. They betrayed her. They broke the trust she gave in. Naniniwala siya na lahat ng lalaki ay manloloko. She's right. Her ex-boyfriend was a playboy indeed. Pinagpustahan siya. Ginawang flavor of the month. Niloko siya nang harap-harapan. After what she witnessed, magtitiwala pa ba siya sa mga lalaki? No. But not until this half-Japanese, half-Filipino arrogant rushed into her life. Ginulo nito ang paniniwala at maging ang buhay niya. Siya na ba iyong lalaking makakatanggap ng sikretong matagal niya ng itinatago? Pero... paano kung coincidence lang pala ang lahat na pagkakatagpo nila? Na hindi siya iyong taong nakalaan para sa kanya? Because there are so many reasons why they can't be together. -

MICHELL BLAKE THOMPSON IS A CERTIFIED PLAYBOY. GIVEN HIS LOOKS AND CHARISMA, NAKUKUHA NIYA ANG LAHAT NG BABAENG GUGUSTUHIN NIYA. AND THEN ONE DAY, SHE SAW A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY AND HE WAS ATTRACTED TO HER IN AN INSTANT. SINUNDAN NIYA ITO WHEN SHE SAW HER AGAIN AND MUCH TO HIS DISMAY, MAY ANAK NA PALA ITO. A SINGLE MOM TO BE EXACT! ALMIRA MAGALLANES IS A SINGLE MOTHER NA GAGAWIN ANG LAHAT PARA SA ANAK NIYA NA MAY SAKIT. TINANGGAP NIYA ANG TRABAHO BILANG ASSISTANT NI MICHELL AT DOON NIYA LUBUSANG NAKILALA ANG PAGKATAO NITO. MAGAGAWA BA NIYANG TANGGAPIN ANG ALOK NI MICHELL SA KANYA NA MAGING BED WARMER NITO LALO PA AT NASA PANGANIB NA ANG BUHAY NG ANAK NIYA? WILL MICHELL FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE TO HIMSELF THAT HE FELL HARD FOR THIS WOMAN NA INIWAN NA LANG SIYA BIGLA AFTER THAT SPECIAL NIGHT NA PINAGSALUHAN NILA?