Wooden Hope Chests

Have you ever dreamt of becoming your stepson's wife? Of course, Jules never expected it, until she met him. * “Who is she?” he barked staring at the woman standing beside his dad with a cold gaze. “Your stepmom, Jules. My newly wedded wife.” his father answered, drawing Jules closer. Hero's lips twitched. Stepmom? He took in the young exquisite woman and sneered. She's more like a gold digger and as long as he's here, he would never accept her as his stepmom. Never!

Dahil lamang sa isang halik ay natagpuan na lamang ni Iris ang sarili na ikinasal na siya kay Sebastian Buenavista, ang nag-iisa at susunod sa pagiging Mafia ng pamilyang Buenavista. Noong una ay hindi niya ito matanggap na ikinasal siya sa isang katulad ni Sebastian pero habang tumatagal ay napapaamo na ng binata ang malamig nitong puso at natagpuan na lamang ni Iris ang sarili na unti-unti na siyang nahuhulog sa binata. Habang lumalalim ang pagmamahal nila sa isa't-isa ay unti-unti ng lumalabas ang mga sikretong itinago ni Sebastian. Sa oras na malaman niya ito ay handa kaya siyang manatili sa tabi nito hanggang dulo?

When my colleagues find out that I'm pretty good at cooking, they start organizing dinners at my place. Lucy Holt, one of the junior accountants, suggests that we split the groceries evenly between us. As a result, I don't think I can reject their request without being rude. On my last day of work, the group gathers at my place for one last meal. "You're such a good cook, Jess! We'll all be transferring you 500 dollars later. It's just a token of our appreciation," Lucy declares with a bright smile. But the very next day, she sends me a message. "Hey, Jess. You know it's illegal to operate an unlicensed catering business from your home, right? Your house will get sealed off for further investigation. More importantly, the value of goods has passed the threshold of 10,000 dollars, which means the fine you'll have to pay is probably going to be about 20 times that amount. "Since we worked together, we decided not to report you to the authorities. We'll just settle this matter privately. All you have to do is give us the fine you would've had to pay instead." This is how I realized that, combined with yesterday's meal, the total amount they've given me for groceries thus far is exactly 10,001 dollars.

Before my birthday party, Grandpa and I talked about my engagement in his study. He asked me which one from the Zachary family I intended to marry. Without hesitation, I chose Matthew Zachary—a decision that shocked Grandpa. After all, everyone in the circle knew that I was deeply in love with Jeffrey Zachary and would not marry anyone else. In a past life, I married Jeffrey Zachary, but later found out he had a relationship with Rosalie Larson. He begged for forgiveness, saying it was an accident. He tearfully knelt and begged for my forgiveness. "I beg you. It was really just an accident." Despite me forgiving him, Grandpa still found out and ordered someone to send Rosalie away. Jeffrey wrongly thought I was behind it and hated me for it. Over time, the elders in my family passed away one after another; rivals got ahead in business, and the company’s secrets were stolen. Tragically, I was killed when I found out I was pregnant. In my new life, I gave my blessing to Jeffrey and Rosalie. Unexpectedly, Jeffrey crashed my engagement party and proposed to me.

On my birthday, my mother-in-law had barely been wheeled out of surgery when she was rushed straight into the ER again. Then, a newly posted video from an intern went viral. In it, the intern held a scalpel and sliced open my mother-in-law's abdomen, while the surgeon who was supposed to be leading the operation, my husband, was nowhere in sight. 'People say an intern has no business being in the operating room? That's all right. My man, the department head, indulges me.' My husband's coworkers reacted warmly, saying the two of them made quite a pair. I forwarded the video to the hospital director without hesitation. … Before long, my husband called. His breathing came hard and uneven, his voice breaking between words. "I forgot your birthday. Big deal. Did you really have to run to the director and accuse me of breaking hospital rules? I'm done with you and your ridiculous tantrums. Even if my mom takes your side this time, I'm still divorcing you." He hung up before I could say a word. What he didn't know was that his mother would never take my side again. Because the patient who hemorrhaged and died after being operated on by that intern was his mother.

"Can someone Save Me?" Lilie De Vega always asks that to herself after all the doubts, self-hatred, fear, and sorrow that she had been holding for a long time. For her, no one will save her, no one will listen to all the hatred and doubts that the world has given to her. No one will ever help her to find the light that she had been looking for a long time because, for her, she's a mess and worthless. Not until the man named Lucas Nixon Montiero, came and saved her. Also to prove that she's worth it and a beautiful mess. Book

The princess was now standing in front of me. But she was not what I expected. In fact, to say I was disappointed was an understatement. Like what the fuck. I've heard stories about how beautiful and enchanting she was, but the woman standing in front of me was completely opposite from that description. The woman standing in front of me was chubby. What the hell? I thought they said she was slim and slender. She even had a mole on her nose and when she smiled at me, I almost puked. She had a huge gap tooth and looked like a clown. "Greetings your highness," she said, and I almost died. Please don't tell me that is my bride. Like, what the f*ck?!

"Why are you hiding from me? you can hide all you want, however, it won't stop you from being mine," his voice echoed throughout the entire hall, making my heart almost fall out of its cage. Regardless, I stubbornly remained in my squatting position. But like they say, you can't change your destiny, you can't change what's meant to be, because before I could fathom what was going on, he was standing right before me.

Pukul 4 pagi, suamiku, Arvian, membangunkanku dengan lembut. Suaranya lembut, "Elisa, sayang, bisakah kau melakukan sesuatu untukku?" Tapi kata-katanya berikutnya menghancurkan semua harapan. "Selina lapar. Buatkan dia sup ikan." Selina adalah pembantu kami, dan dia juga selingkuhan Arvian yang sedang hamil. "Aku baru saja mendapat ikan yang segar. Pergi ke dapur dan buatkan semangkuk sup untuknya. Khusus untuk pewaris Keluarga Mahendra." Aku menolak dengan suara yang dingin. Amarahnya pun menyala dalam sekejap. "Jangan keterlaluan, Elisa." "Apa membuat sup itu terlalu sulit bagimu?" Aku menggeleng dan tetap diam. Tangannya mengusap pipiku, dan senyum merendahkan tersungging di bibirnya. "Baiklah, Elisa. Jadi kau sudah berani menentangku sekarang." "Pikirkan baik-baik, Elisa. Apa kau benar-benar ingin tetap menjadi bagian dari Keluarga Mahendra?" "Dan posisi sebagai pengacara keluarga? Pikirkan apa kau masih menginginkan semua itu... lalu beri aku jawabanmu." Melihat kesombongan di matanya, sisa cinta terakhirku padanya pun lenyap. Aku mengeluarkan ponsel dan menekan nomor yang sudah lama tak kuhubungi. "Aku ingin keluar dari Keluarga Mahendra."

In the crumbling city of Newhaven, humanity cowers under the rule of wolves, and rebellion is about to ignite. Mira’s priority is protecting her younger brother Jace from his reckless defiance. Lucan, the wolf prince, feels the pressure of a kingdom on the brink of chaos. One fateful night during a protest, Mira and Lucan's paths collide, forming a bond that defies their worlds. She is a human rebel, and he is a wolf prince. Their lives are now linked in a perilous game. As war erupts, Mira must decide how far to go to protect her brother and the hope of freedom. Lucan faces a choice between his loyalty to the pack and the bond he cannot deny. Secrets emerge that could shatter or unite their worlds. Together, they must confront ancient truths, deadly enemies, and their own hearts. In a city of shadows and rebellion, will their bond save them or doom them?