Novels by awfultendenc1

The office was shifting. I could feel it.For the past few weeks, I had been subtly exposing Lili, planting small seeds of doubt in our coworkers' minds. At first, they didn’t notice. They were too used to her sweet act, her innocent smile, her carefully crafted lies.But people weren’t stupid forever.Lili was starting to lose control of the narrative she had built so well.I could see it in the way some of our colleagues hesitated before believing her words, how they double-checked their emails when she gave them instructions, how they exchanged subtle looks whenever she made another “accidental” mistake that put me in a difficult position.She was unraveling, and she knew it.Today, her patience was running thin.“You know, Tasia,” Lili said as she leaned against my desk, smiling, “I was just talking to the manager about the quarterly report. He said it wasn’t quite right. Did you double-check the numbers?”I glanced up from my computer, already sensing her game.“Yes, I did,” I sa

The office was a battlefield, but no one else seemed to realize it except me.Lili had mastered the art of deception, wearing a mask so flawlessly that most people didn’t see the venom beneath her smile. But I did. I saw everything.She was careful, never outright cruel—at least not in ways that could be proven. Her attacks came in subtle jabs, small inconveniences that could be brushed off as mistakes, miscommunications, or even helpful corrections.But I wasn’t stupid.She was trying to make me look incompetent.And I refused to let her win.I walked into the office, the usual hum of conversation filling the space as people bustled around. The moment I stepped into my department, I felt eyes on me. Lili was already seated at her desk, scrolling through emails like she hadn’t been waiting for me to arrive just so she could start something.“Morning, Tasia,” she called out, her voice overly sweet.I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Morning, Lili.”Her eyes gleamed as she leaned back in

By the time I got home, exhaustion clung to me like a second skin.The day had drained me—working with Lili had never been easy, but today she had gone out of her way to make things worse. The subtle sabotage, the carefully placed jabs, the way she pretended we were friends in front of everyone else—it all made my blood boil.But more than anything, it made me tired.I dropped my bag near the door and sighed, running a hand through my hair as I stepped into the living room.Asher was there.Seated on the couch, his tie loosened, the top buttons of his dress shirt undone. A glass of whiskey rested in his hand, half-finished. He looked up when I entered, his sharp gaze scanning my face.“You’re late,” he said simply.I let out a small, humorless laugh. “Yeah.”I walked over and sank onto the couch across from him, stretching my legs out as the exhaustion settled deeper.Asher set his glass down, watching me. “Rough day?”I exhaled, nodding. “You could say that.”His brows furrowed sligh

Working with Lili was exactly what I expected—a nightmare in disguise.Since she was tasked with guiding me, she took every opportunity to make me look stupid.But in front of others?She played the role of the perfect friend.A concerned mentor. A supportive colleague. A helpful senior.She was so convincing that, if I didn’t know any better, I might have believed it.Except I did know better.Because behind the fake smiles, the soft reassurances, and the friendly tone—Lili was calculating.She knew exactly what she was doing.And so did I.It started small.On my second day, I had to submit my first report—a simple summary of the team's current projects. Claire had given me a rundown, and I had worked on it all morning, making sure it was polished and professional.I sent it in, confident that it was at least decent.But an hour later, Claire called me into her office.I barely had time to sit before she sighed, sliding a copy of my report across the desk.“This is… incomplete, Anas

The following days were a blur.Dinner with Asher’s family had left me drained, and the tension between us afterward had stretched on longer than I expected.Asher was cold.Not in a cruel way, but in a way that reminded me of how he was before we got comfortable with each other. He kept his distance, retreating behind that quiet wall of indifference.And I let him.Because I still didn’t understand what had happened that night with the roses.Or why he had been so angry.The memory of his voice—sharp, cutting—lingered in my mind.Who gave you the right to touch the garden?I had tried to bring it up in the car, but he had shut me out completely, as if the topic itself was forbidden.And because he refused to bring it up, I did too.Besides, as the days passed, the coldness between us gradually disappeared.At first, it was subtle.Small things.Like how he w

The car ride was tense.I hadn’t expected it to be any different, not after the way Asher shut me down this morning. But still, I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, we could talk.That maybe he would explain.That maybe I would understand.I turned my head slightly, glancing at him. His fingers were curled loosely around the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the road, his jaw set in that unreadable way he always had when he didn’t want to show what he was feeling.I hesitated for a moment, debating if I should try.Then, finally, I took a breath.“Asher.”He didn’t respond.I swallowed, shifting slightly in my seat. “About the flowers—”“We’re not talking about that.”His voice was calm. Cold. Final.I frowned. “But—”“I said no.”His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.I stared at him, frustration bubbling in my chest. “I don’t understand why you’re so angry—”His jaw clenched.I stopped, realizing that if I kept pushing, I wouldn’t get anything.

The next morning, I woke up feeling the same way I always did these days: heavy. It was as though lead had pooled in my chest overnight, weighing me down before I’d even had the chance to face the day. I stared at the ceiling for a few moments, letting the dim light filtering through the curtains wash over me. The silence of the penthouse made my ears ring. It was remarkable how loud nothingness could be.I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples before I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My toes brushed against the cool hardwood floor, and for a moment, I let myself stay like that—feet grounded, head bowed, trying to summon the strength to face another day.The memory of last night’s gala replayed in my mind like a cruel highlight reel. The forced smiles, the whispers behind our backs, Julian’s cold, detached presence by my side. And then that moment in the living room when I’d dared to ask him why he married me. His answer had been as cutting as it was predictable. “Because it was c

The car ride back to the penthouse was cloaked in an oppressive silence. The city lights blurred past the window as I stared out, my head resting against the cool glass. I could feel Julian’s presence beside me, distant yet heavy, like a storm cloud lingering on the horizon. He didn’t speak, and neither did I. What was there to say? We were two strangers bound by a contract, pretending to be a couple in love for the benefit of the world. The charade was exhausting, and tonight had drained me of whatever strength I had left. My gaze shifted slightly, catching his reflection in the window. He sat straight, his posture impeccable, his jaw set in that infuriatingly stern way that made him seem untouchable. His green eyes were fixed ahead, unreadable as always. I wondered what he was thinking. Did he feel the same suffocating weight I did? Or was he so detached that none of this affected him at all? The car pulled to a smooth stop in front of the building, and Julian was out before I coul

The ballroom was alive with the hum of conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the occasional burst of laughter. The Blackwood charity gala was everything I had expected it to be—grand, opulent, and utterly suffocating. Hundreds of guests in designer gowns and tailored suits drifted through the space, their movements as polished as the marble floors beneath their feet. It was a performance, a carefully orchestrated ballet of wealth and influence, and I was the reluctant dancer at its center. Julian’s hand rested lightly on my lower back as he guided me through the crowd, a gesture that looked intimate but was anything but. His touch was impersonal, like I was just another accessory to complement his perfectly tailored tuxedo. To these people, we were the perfect power couple, the Blackwoods in all their shining glory. But beneath the glittering facade, the cracks in our foundation were deep and irreparable. “Smile,” Julian murmured under his breath, his voice low enough that on

The days following Julian’s absence were a blur of emptiness. I spent most of my time wandering the penthouse, avoiding the staff with their pitiful glances and pretending I didn’t feel the suffocating loneliness creeping in through every corner of the cold, sprawling space. The walls seemed to echo with the silence, a constant reminder of how isolated I was in this hollow marriage.Julian hadn’t returned since the honeymoon. Or rather, the lack of one. I didn’t know where he was, and I didn’t dare ask. The villa staff had been kind enough to inform me that he was 'attending to business matters,' but I knew better. Business matters didn’t require disappearing without a word, and they certainly didn’t involve neglecting your new wife. Julian’s absence wasn’t about work—it was about avoidance. Avoidance of me and of a marriage he clearly wanted no part of.And yet, a small part of me, a part I hated, kept hoping the door would open and he’d walk in. That he’d at least offer some kind of

I woke up to the soft golden light of the morning streaming through the curtains. For a moment, I forgot where I was. The sheets felt impossibly soft, the faint sound of waves crashing against the cliffs outside was soothing, and for just a few seconds, I let myself believe I was back in my old life, where things were simpler and where I still had control over my own fate. But reality came crashing down like the tide. I blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling and slowly turned my head. The other side of the bed was empty—untouched, as though no one had ever been there in the first place. My heart sank, though I didn’t know why I was surprised. Julian hadn’t exactly been warm or welcoming last night. The bitterness in his drunken words still lingered in the air, and I could still see the cold, unyielding look in his eyes. There was no reason for him to stay. And yet, seeing the empty space beside me hurt more than I cared to admit. I sat up, rubbing my temples in an attempt to shake o

The honeymoon suite was breathtaking. It was the kind of place people dreamt about, a secluded villa perched on a cliffside overlooking the serene, turquoise waters of the Amalfi Coast. The floor-to-ceiling windows framed a view so picturesque it could have been pulled straight from a postcard. There was an infinity pool that seemed to stretch into the ocean itself, and the villa was adorned with elegant furnishings that exuded luxury. It was perfect.And yet, it might as well have been a prison.I sat at the edge of the massive king-sized bed, still in my pale blue sundress. My hair was still styled in the soft curls the stylist had worked on that morning before we’d boarded the private jet. I hadn’t bothered to change or freshen up after we’d arrived. What was the point? I’d spent hours waiting for Julian to show up, but the villa was silent except for the gentle lapping of the waves outside. He was nowhere to be found.I sighed, glancing at the small table in the corner of the roo