butts on things

On my birthday, my husband of five years accompanied his childhood sweetheart to celebrate her dog's birthday. Avery Simpson published a loving post: [The happiest baby in the world. Mom and Dad will be with you. I hope you're always happy.] Seeing the words "Mom and Dad", I commented a question mark with confusion. The next moment, I found myself blocked. Charles Logan called me and lashed out at me. "Why do you always have to mess things up at the worse possible time? You're worse than a dog. How despicable!" Shortly after, Avery changed her profile picture to one of her and Charles, hands intertwined. When I saw the obvious provocation, I didn't get angry like before. That's because I had already made up my mind to get a divorce.

I applied for a popular online job as a personal chef. I thought I'd be cooking simple, home-style meals, but I quickly found myself trapped in a world of surprises. The food they were craving was me, served on a platter. The wealthy women were looking for excitement, torturing me night after night. But what they didn't realize was, the real thrill came when the dogs turned on each other.

I'm Tristan Scott's driver's daughter. Ten years ago, my father died at the hands of Tristan's abductors as he tried to save Tristan. Tristan had held me close and told me, "I'll care for you for the rest of your life on your father's behalf." Later, my mother's cancer relapsed due to her sorrow after losing my father. Before her death, she hoped to see Tristan and me marry. But on the wedding day, Tristan leaves me at the altar. I weep and try to keep him around, but he sneers and says, "You should know where to draw the line—your father gave his life in exchange for the cushy life you now have. That should be enough for you! You're dreaming if you think you can marry me!" In the end, my mother dies without seeing Tristan put a ring on me. That night, his assistant shares an Instagram story. The photo is of her and Tristan's faces plastered to each other as she shows off the ring on her finger. It's captioned, "My answer is yes."

In Lunular Island where the tides rise with the moon, Crisel stands as the most feared and revered Raksha — the alpha bloodline’s protector. But Crisel carries a dangerous secret that no one suspects… she is Alrael’s luna. For fifteen years, she has lived with this secret and kept it even from Alrael himself. The former alpha, Aphael, insisted on this deception, fearing that the same betrayal which murdered Alrael’s mother and sister during the Great Extermination would happen again. Now, Crisel walks beside Alrael as he leads the moonlight wolves by day. But at night, Alrael becomes Black Justice, a vigilante who’s hunting for answers to his family’s slaughter, and Crisel fights by his side as they inch closer to uncovering the conspiracy that threatens the very essence of moonlight wolves. Yet, every moment of closeness is a reminder of what Crisel can never tell him… that she is his Luna, his mate — she can only allow her love to burn in secret. The burden of Crisel’s hidden identity even grows unbearable especially when Alrael is pressured by the village heads to marry and secure the alpha lineage. They believed that the luna is long dead and have arranged his marriage to Giana, a genius from Crescent Village. Now, the wedding day approaches and the weight of the past, the fear of betrayal, and her love for Alrael all collide in that moment. Time… is running out for Crisel. But with the vows spoken, and the preacher having said, “Speak now, or forever hold your peace", Crisel has to make a choice. Will she allow her alpha marry the wrong girl or…. will she speak now? Will she be risking everything and be rudely barging in on the alpha’s white-veil occasion?

For Nanette Wood, three years of marriage to Sterling Hanson felt like a cruel and heartless affair. Sterling treated her like trash. He hated her and often humiliated her, all while having a devoted confidante by his side. He completely forgot that he had once devoted himself to her. Nanette endured it all for love. She waited for three years, only for him to loathe her deeply instead of coming back to her. She accepted that some relationships were destined to be fleeting. Just when she had resolved to sign the divorce papers and break free from her cage, that heartless man clung to her. "Nanette, I've only ever wanted you in this life. I loved you for ten years. You can't just shake me off." Nanette scoffed. "Mr. Hanson, can't you have a bit more class? If you're going to lie, you should at least try not to make it so obvious." With reddened eyes and a quivering voice, Sterling insisted, "I'm not lying. It's been ten years, and my feelings for you have never changed."