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Lia Rivera is tired of being tongue-tied, blushing, and falling over herself every time Ethan Park walks by. So, she comes up with a brilliant (read: terrible) idea: humiliate herself enough in front of him until she's cured of her feelings. But as she dives headfirst into Operation Uncrush, things spiral - instead of pushing Ethan away, she accidentally becomes the weirdly endearing girl he can't stop thinking about. Now she's stuck between actually getting over him... or falling harder than ever.
If there were an Olympic sport for embarrassing yourself in front of your crush, I would've taken gold three years in a row.
My name is Lia Rivera. Sixteen. Junior. Certified drama queen, occasionally allergic to common sense. And as of this morning? Public enemy number one of my dignity.
Let me explain.
It started like any other weekday at Jefferson High - a melting pot of pastel lockers, underfunded vending machines, and enough teenage hormones to power a soap opera.
I was running late, again. Mostly because my afro refused to cooperate and decided to revolt like it had its own freedom movement.
"Lia!" My mom's voice echoed from downstairs as I wrestled with a scrunchie. "You're gonna miss your bus!"
"Tell the bus to wait!" I yelled back, yanking my curls into what I hoped resembled a bun and not a wild nest of secrets. Spoiler alert: it was the nest.
My mom, Rochelle Rivera - aka Queen of Sarcasm and Mom Jeans - popped her head into my room with a raised brow. "Girl, that bus waits for no one. Especially not for you and your full-on Beyoncé hair moment."
"Love you, bye!" I sprinted past her, grabbed a half-eaten granola bar, and slammed the front door behind me.
---
Ten minutes later, I made it to school just as the warning bell rang - heart racing, curls bouncing, and sneakers untied like some kind of tragic metaphor.
Jefferson High was buzzing. Posters for "Fall Spirit Week" were everywhere, reminding us that pajama day was coming, and so was a quiz in trig, which was not nearly as exciting.
I dodged a freshman with a trombone, barely missed slipping on someone's spilled iced coffee, and finally approached my locker with the grace of a penguin on roller skates.
That's when it happened.
The Locker Incident™.
One second I was spinning my lock (left-right-left-curse), and the next-BOOM. I slammed into a wall.
Except it wasn't a wall.
It was Ethan Park.
Six feet tall, lean build, perfect posture like his spine was sponsored by a yoga studio. Hair black as midnight and annoyingly perfect, even though we all knew he didn't even use product. His jawline? Sharp enough to file government secrets. And don't even get me started on his smile. It was soft. Like he knew how to laugh but didn't do it often. Like when he did, it meant something.
And right now, all of that was about two inches from my face.
"Oh my God-Ethan-I-" I scrambled back, nearly tripping over my own backpack.
He blinked. "Are you okay?"
"I-yes-I'm just-my locker betrayed me."
"...Your locker?"
"It moved. I swear. It lunged."
He stared at me, lips twitching.
Please don't laugh. Please don't-
He smiled.
Not just any smile. That smile. The one he gave teachers when he answered questions like he didn't know he was a genius. The one that made girls in Honors Bio develop asthma.
"I didn't know lockers had legs," he said, voice light, amused.
"I didn't know hallway crushes were fatal, but here we are!" I blurted out before my brain could catch up to my mouth.
Silence.
My soul ascended.
Ethan tilted his head, lips parted. And then-
He laughed.
Not a polite chuckle. A real, caught-off-guard, nose-wrinkling laugh.
I wanted to crawl into my locker and live there forever.
---
"LIA!" Maya screeched, grabbing my arm and yanking me away like the building was on fire.
"Wait, my dignity-!"
"It's gone, girl. Gone. Come on."
Maya Caldwell was my best friend and part-time life coach. Half-Trinidadian, half-sass, and built like a track star with the voice of someone who didn't believe in indoor volumes.
She dragged me around the corner and planted me against the wall. "You ran into him. Again. How many times is that?"
"Four," I muttered.
"Four! Girl. This is officially a pattern. You need help."
"I think I need therapy."
"You need exorcism. Why are you like this?"
"Because he has a face that makes my heart malfunction!"
Maya sighed dramatically. "You know what? It's time."
"For... what?"
She crossed her arms. "We're gonna get you over Ethan Park."
"Wait-what-no, you can't just decide that."
"Yes I can. It's the Uncrush Plan."
"The what now?"
"Operation: Uncrush Your Crush. New life goal: humiliate yourself in front of him so badly, your heart will give up and move on."
"...That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard."
"I know. Which is why it's perfect."
Later, in the cafeteria - aka the Thunderdome of drama and expired chicken nuggets - I nursed my water bottle and stared at Ethan across the room.
He was sitting with his usual crew - Lucas, his best friend and meme dealer; Jenny, the class president; and Olivia, who might've been his ex-girlfriend or current something. Rumors were conflicting.
"So," Maya said, plopping next to me, "what do we embarrass you with first?"
"Can we not?"
"Nope. You already fell into him once this week. What's left? Crying in front of him while reciting Shakespeare?"
I groaned. "Why can't I just like a normal person?"
"You? Normal? Girl, the last time you tried flirting, you offered a boy half your lunch and asked if he liked cats."
"Cats are a valid topic!"
"You said, 'Wanna see my cat's Instagram.'"
"...Okay, I admit that was a low point."
Maya smirked. "So. Operation Uncrush. You in?"
I sipped my water dramatically. "Fine. But if I die, put 'She Tried Her Best' on my tombstone."
---
That night at dinner, my little brother Zion flicked a green bean at my face and said, "You gonna tell Mom you ran into your boyfriend again?"
"Ethan is not my boyfriend," I snapped, wiping my cheek. "He's just a guy who accidentally saw my soul leave my body."
My mom raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about the tall boy again?"
"He's not tall, he's just... normal tall. And no. We're talking about... algebra."
Zion snorted. "Algebra doesn't make you blush, dummy."
"Okay, first of all, yes it does," I said. "Second of all, mind your business."
My mom grinned. "I'm just saying. Maybe if you stop crashing into him, he'll stop thinking you're a walking disaster."
"...Thanks, Mom. That's very helpful."
"You're welcome, baby."
---
At 1AM, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, questioning every life choice that led me here. Was this what teenhood was supposed to be? Hormones, heartbreak, and hallway collisions?
Probably.
I rolled over and checked my phone. Maya had texted me:
Maya: Step one tomorrow. Be ready. You're gonna trip in front of him. On purpose.
Me: YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!
Maya: Trust the plan.
Me: I trust literally nothing about this plan.
Maya: Then I guess you're still gonna be in love with him at graduation.
I groaned. Ethan Park, you better be worth the bruises.
Shen Yue, an actress who just won the best actress award in the real world, wakes up in a popular entertainment novel as Shen Yue, a notorious villainess actress who bears the same name as her. In the novel, Shen Yue was the arrogant second female lead-a beauty who bullied the protagonist, stole roles, and used underhanded tricks. She was eventually blacklisted, slandered, and ruined, leaving the industry in disgrace. But Shen Yue refuses to follow the script. Instead of playing the villainess, she becomes a force to be reckoned with-using her acting talent and Wits. Face slapping the White Lotuses who stood on her way. However, the powerful man watching said,"My wife's Face slapping skills are awesome" Shen Yue:Who is Your wife?
Betrayed. Humiliated. Left with nothing but a shattered reputation. When Serena Lancaster, once the darling of high society, is publicly cast aside by her ex-fiancé, she swears never to let another man have power over her. Desperate to rebuild her life, she takes a job at Weston Sinclair's empire-the one man who has every reason to despise her ex. Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable. Weston built his billion-dollar legacy on control, and falling for his reckless nephew's ex is the last thing he should do. But from the moment Serena steps into his world, she becomes his obsession-one he refuses to deny. He should keep his distance. He should let her go. But when Serena's past threatens to destroy her, Weston makes a choice. She's his now. And he'll never let her go.
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
"Where am I?" She whispered desperately " If I am reborn...I won't have mercy on those evil scums" Then a flash of bright light......
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Accused of murder, Sylvia Todd's mother was deemed a traitor by the entire pack, condeming Sylvia to live the rest of her life alone in humiliation as a lowly slave. All she wanted to do was to prove her mother's innocence somehow, but fate never seemed to be on the side of the traitor's daughter. Still, Sylvia never lost hope. As the future lycan king of all werewolves, Rufus Duncan possessed great power and status, but he had an inexplicable reputation for being cruel, bloodthirsty, and ruthless. Unbeknownst to everyone, he had been cursed long ago to transform into a killer monster on every full moon. Even though fate did not always look upon the two, it brought Sylvia and Rufus together as each other's destined mates. Will justice be served for Sylvia's mother? What about Rufus' secret? Can Sylvia and Rufus defy all societal norms and stay together? Will these two unlucky souls have their happy ending?
Blurb "Part your legs for me, princess" Alpha Damian humored huskily like he was intoxicated, I whimpered as he voice sents a jolts of emotions round my body. An emotion that I wasn't supposed to feel. Selene was 18 years old when she found out that Alpha Jasper of the Silver Crescent pack was her mate at her Awakening ceremony. Being a reject with no parents she lived with him for over one year as a slave and he never acknowledged her as his mate because he couldn't accept a reject as his mate. On her 20th birthday, her mate not only rejected her and chose her best friend; Imogen, as his new mate, but he also sold Selene to the most feared Alpha; Alpha Damian of the Crimson Moon pack whom everyone referred to as a beast. Not knowing why Alpha Damian chose to buy her, she can only resign herself to fate. What has the moon goddess installed for me again? Is this the freedom she solely crave for? Will she be tied down with the shackles of the unknown?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.