Would've Could've Should've

At a company party, Taylor Kennedy plays a game of mouth-to-mouth cookie biting with his female assistant as everyone watches. I blend into the crowd and laugh along. The room instantly falls silent. The assistant bursts into tears and plays the victim. Taylor lets go of her, turns to me, and coldly scolds me in front of the entire company. He berates me for not knowing how to read the room and being a buzzkill. Then, without hesitation, he wraps his arm around the assistant and kisses her deeply as I watch. If this were before, I would've stormed over in a rage and ripped them apart. Then, I would've humiliated her in front of everyone, not caring whose pride I trampled. But now, I feel nothing. Not even as I watch them kiss. Not even though today marks my ten-year anniversary with Taylor.

“What does it look like, Victoria?” Amelia replied with a smirk. “I see. You’ve grown bold", my mother said. “No, no, you’re mistaken. I’ve grown rich! Victoria.” When Amelia Harper storms back into Ethan Caldwell’s life, she’s no longer the girl he lost, she’s the powerful widow standing between him and in control of Caldwell Enterprises. As lies unravel and a daughter he never knew enters the picture, Ethan is forced to confront a scandal that could ruin everything. Torn between revenge, love, and the truth behind Amelia’s disappearance, one question remains: Can they rebuild what was shattered, or will the past finish what it started?

I never would've imagined I would be the one to deliver protection product to Edgar Graham and his female subordinate. I get to witness him cheating on me. I even politely tell the mistress, "Here's your order. Please give me a good rating."

A medical report shows me my husband's true colors. I've been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. Yet, my husband gives our life savings to someone else. I lunge at him to take my anger out on him, but he shoves me to the floor. "Lillian needs the money to open up a shop, you madwoman! So what if I've given her the money? "You have late-stage stomach cancer, so it's the end of the line for you! Why are you trying to compete with someone who has a long life ahead when you already have one foot in the grave? You can't expect Mom and I to lose everything because of you, right?" I sit dazedly on the floor. I've never found him more unfamiliar. After that, I sneak all my wedding gifts out, wanting to sell them for money. However, I'm told they're all fakes. My husband sneers. "I'm glad I had the foresight to switch them out for the real deal. You would've taken all the money if not for that!" Later, the hospital called to say there was an issue with their system. The names on the medical reports were wrongly indicated. I ask my husband, "Why are you competing with someone who has a long life ahead when you already have one foot in the grave?"

“You’ve been a very bad girl, Ley…” He whispered, his eyes dark with hunger, closing the distance between them until her back hit the cool glass wall. Her breath caught, but she didn’t flinch. “You’re arrogant…” “You’re wet.” He wrapped his hand around her waist and leans in… She should walk away, he was her father’s best friend, arrogant, wickedly charming, and knows exactly how to ruin her resolve, but his fingers traced her wrist, slow, possessive, and she knew she would let him ruin her again. He was supposed to be off-limits… but forbidden taste the sweetest.

This will also be posted on Royal Road.A rundown hotel in the middle of Brazil, minimal staff, dim lighting, near no one, and nowhere. What brought these two here? A tall man clad in purple and a small clean-cut fellow with an unsettling grin. What could've led them there?

I've just returned from London and my father has contracted me to marry a billionaire heir to pay off his debts. I learned he's a world-famous player and also the bully that hurt me in high school so I've made it my mission to tame him and dump him because I love challenges and revenge. But when he goes from being a heartbreaker to a lover, I’m conflicted as I've started feeling little butterflies. Will love triumph in the end or will it end up how it always does; heartbreak?

While inspecting the hotel owned by my family, I start to feel hungry after ordering some food at the hotel restaurant. Before the food is served, I munch on a small piece of bread roll for the time being. Suddenly, the lobby manager comes up to me and hands me a piece of paper. "Hello, sir. We do not allow outside food here. It has been 8 minutes and 30 seconds since you entered our restaurant. The total cost of your meal is 1,500 dollars. You'll be fined 1.28 million dollars." I am briefly stunned as I look at the piece of paper detailing the amount I should pay. Then, I take a picture of the piece of paper and send it to the group chat that has all the members of the board of directors. I tag my elder sister in the next message I send. "I've received a fine at the hotel owned by my family. Is this how you've increased the hotel's revenue?"

All my life, I've been thinking about the same thing...That because of who I was, I was destined to be alone forever... But who would've thought, that I was actually destined to be bound to Death himself... "His fingers went under my chin, coaxing me to look back up at him and as soon as I did, my heart started racing again, noticing the way his haunting eyes were now trained on my lips as he huskily said those two words again, "Forgive me." And before I could utter a single word, his soft, plump lips crashed against mine in a chaste, yet passionate kiss, sending warm tingles all over my body, making my heart almost jump out of my chest as we stayed like that for a few moments, before he suddenly pulled back, staring at me a little shocked, only now realizing what he had just done, then turned around and quickly walked away, leaving me standing there, speechless."

As a student at an elite academy for supernaturals, I’ve always thought I had my life figured out. My 18th birthday is just around the corner, a milestone that could change everything. For as long as I can remember, I've been betrothed to my childhood crush, who also happens to be my brothers' best friend. It seemed like my future was set in stone—until everything shifted. I never expected to find myself drawn to my warrior trainers, Cameron and Samuel. They're not just any trainers; they're the alpha princes of the werewolf race. The bond between us is growing stronger every day, and it’s tearing me apart. My brothers have warned me about the power and allure of dominant wolves, but they never could have guessed that the real threat would come from my own teachers. Now, I’m caught between my betrothal and these forbidden feelings, not to mention the strict rules of our supernatural world. Things get even more complicated when a sudden attack rocks the academy. I'm forced to make life-altering decisions that go beyond just my heart; the safety of everyone I love hangs in the balance. With destiny, love, and danger at every corner, I must decide whether to follow my heart or stay true to my obligations.