Novels by Luna J.R. Smith

Diana’s pov"Hey Diana, it's Mom. You're going to have to talk to me eventually, sweetie".That was the second voice note she'd sent in the last thirty minutes, the fifth in the last eight hours, and the thirtieth in the past twenty four hours.No, she doesn't miss me. And she certainly didn't want to apologize for what happened. That part of her–– the part that felt remorse, the part that cared enough to love and show compassion, was reserved for her favorite daughter, Anna.She's been calling nonstop, texts, voicemails, you name it, all to convince me to sell my ring ever since Brian said it's worth a fortune.That was a week ago–– the same week I quit my job. Or, more accurately, the same week I went into hiding.I decided to turn myself in for fraud at the police station. But when I got there, I was told there was no case against me. I was shocked, until Mom called.Turns out, their wedding hall had been raided by police, and everyone spent the night in jail. Shocking.What was ev

Diana’s povAshley, my best friend and the only stable person in my life since childhood, sat across from me at the table, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she studied me with suspicion.We were at the store, surrounded by racks of high-end clothes, each piece more expensive than the last. Even the least expensive item cost a small fortune.Ashley leaned forward, her voice low but firm. "Diana, what's going on? You've been acting weird all day. And since when do you shop at places like this?".Since never! I avoided her gaze, my fingers nervously tracing the edge of the table. "I just… wanted to do something nice", I said, my voice barely above a whisper.Ashley wasn’t buying it. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. “Yeah, right. Something nice and you chose the most expensive store in town? Girl, be fr!”."I can't lose my job…", I whispered. "I heard that already", she snapped. "What I haven't heard is how you ended up with the

Diana’s povTwo things hit me, shattering my world into a million tiny pieces.My sister is pregnant.And she's married to my fiancé.The words echoed in my mind, over and over, until I thought I might go insane. It's been three days since I found out, and the pain is still as raw as it had been the moment I saw them leaving the courthouse–– her glowing with happiness, him looking at her like she was his entire world.I'd run then, just like I always did. But this time, I had a destination. Home. My home. A small studio apartment in downtown LA, the one place that was still mine. The one place where I could breathe without feeling like the walls were closing in on me.The drive had been a blur, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. My mind raced with questions I couldn't answer, and a pain so deep it felt like it might consume me.When I finally pulled into the parking garage, my phone buzzed incessantly. The screen lit up with missed calls and voic

Diana’s povI had no destination in mind. The sound of my footsteps was the only thing that drowned out the chaos in my head.“Why can’t I enter my own wedding reception?” I asked the bouncers, my voice shaking with disbelief.I was standing outside my wedding hall, the one I’d paid for. The one I’d painstakingly planned every detail of, down to the color scheme and decor.Everything was exactly as I’d envisioned it: the flowers, the candles I’d bought off Amazon, the fancy drapes, everything was there … except me.I looked around and saw everyone I’d invited. Everybody was here, without me.“My fiancé is in there,” I said, my voice rising. “I want to go in. Now.”“We’re sorry, Mrs.—sorry, Diana, but Brian gave orders not to let you in.”Wait. What? Brian gave orders to keep me out of a venue I paid for? I laughed, thinking it had to be some kind of joke. But when the bouncers didn’t even crack a smile, that’s when it hit me.They were serious. Brian had kicked me out of my own weddin

Diana's povHe was never really in love with me. I should've realized it sooner, but I was too caught up in what I wanted to believe.Late nights, early morning meetings, 'work' always getting in the way of checking in on me… calls at odd hours from strange numbers. It should've been obvious. But it's only when it's too late that the truth hits. And now I'm left with this one question: Why didn't I see it coming?I mean, why didn't I find it strange that my fiancé chose to stay at the office for 'work' while I was at the hospital, barely holding on after losing our child? How could I have been so blind?I walked into the courthouse today, a smile on my face, my heart full of hope. I was ready to marry the man I'd loved for six years, to finally become his wife.The only good thing to come from losing my baby.I don't know when I'd come to terms with the loss, but I was certain that together, we'd find a way through it. I've been so foolish.I stood there, clutching my bouquet, the sec