sadstory

My mother was the best portrait artist in the police station. She had a strong sense of justice and brooked no evil. However, all I got was a sharp retort when I called her to save me. "You know it's your sister's coming-of-age celebration today, and you're cursing her? Kidnapped, are you? Fine, the kidnappers can kill you for all I care." She assumed it was a prank call. So, she refused to go to the police station and do her job. I wasn't saved in time and was tortured to death. When the DNA report came out, she came to the scene all wobbly. She drew a portrait of me with my bones as reference, her hand trembling all the way. "Jessica? It can't be her. This is a mistake!" She tried again and again. Yet, it didn't matter how many times she redid it as the portrait showed my face. My mother, who had hated me my whole life, teared up.

On the day of my birthday, my cousin, who does ballet, falls and injures her leg. My father smacks my leg with a club in a fit of rage. I cry out in pain, but he doesn't care. He sneers and says, "Now, you know how it feels! Why didn't you stop to think how much pain your cousin would be in when you pushed her and made her fall down the stairs?" He hits me with all his might until I can't make any more sounds. To drive the lesson home, he shoves me into the basement, uncaring that I'm on the brink of death. "I'll let you out of there once you stop thinking these dirty thoughts, Yvonne!" But when he opens the door to the basement once more, all he sees is my decomposing corpse.

**Synopsis of *"Between Us and the Stars"***: Keisha Joli, a driven and independent woman, is determined to build a life of her own without relying on anyone. But her world collides with that of Jarren, a powerful and wealthy CEO, whose arrogance represents everything she despises. Initially sworn enemies, their fierce rivalry gradually evolves into an undeniable attraction neither of them can ignore. Despite their differences, Keisha and Jarren find themselves drawn to each other, each challenging the other in ways they never expected. As they navigate the ups and downs of their passionate yet tumultuous relationship, Keisha and Jarren are surrounded by their close-knit group of friends, who are all on their own journeys of love and self-discovery. But just as Keisha and Jarren start to believe they can make it work, a tragic turn of events shatters their world: Keisha's plane crashes during a business trip, leaving Jarren devastated and heartbroken. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Jarren spirals into grief, regretting every moment he took Keisha for granted. As he struggles to come to terms with her loss, a mysterious new figure, Sofia, enters his life, bringing a flicker of hope. But is Keisha truly gone, or is there more to the story than meets the eye? With unresolved love, heartbreak, and the shadow of a second chance, *"Between Us and the Stars"* explores the fine line between fate and choice, with the promise of a new beginning lurking just beyond the horizon.

When her family’s fortune crumbles and her father dies, Leya Anderson is left with no choice but to marry the ruthless mafia billionaire, Harrison Blackwood. Scarred by betrayal and unwillingness to trust, Harrison sees Leya as nothing more than a gold digger, just another person waiting to break his heart. But Leya carries a secret that could shatter everything: she’s pregnant with his child. Trapped in a loveless marriage and tormented by the cruelty of the Blackwood family, Leya must protect her unborn baby at all costs. Yet as Harrison drowns in his thirst for revenge she fights for her own freedom. Can two scarred hearts find redemption or will their pasts destroy them both?