Just when I thought I had successfully moved on from a loveless relationship, I realized I made the same mistake again. I fell in love with a kind and handsome billionaire, and I thought he was already the perfect man. However, I learned about his deep secret--the secret evolving around my identity and the secret that shattered my respect for him. I broke off with him and claimed everything that belonged to me. I hated him like he was the fiercest criminal in the world. I accused him as a thief, stripping him off from his once dazzling glory. But then, a particular event led me to the truth. Only to know that I was already too late!
Author's Note:
I got the inspiration to write this book when the COVID-19 outbreak started to hit my country. I just imagined a love story that grows amidst the virus outbreak, but I realized later that this storyline could be a sensitive issue to those who are affected. So, I changed the name of the virus to make it fictional and diverted the course of the story from what I originally created in my mind.
"Red, can you please spare me a box of face masks?"
I frowned at this message from a friend as I opened my messenger app. I crossed my leg over the other as I slumped over the couch in our physician's lounge as soon as I finished writing orders. I was already exhausted from those non-stop admissions. It was already past three in the morning when I returned to the quarters, and yet, all the ER beds were still full. Others were even helping themselves into the chairs while waiting for vacancies in the medical-surgical ward.
"Why can't she just go to the nearest pharmacy or medical supplies outlet?" I grumbled to myself as I opened another message, shaking my head for this nonsense stuff. Having scanned my other unread messages, I shifted to YouTube Channel to watch my favorite music videos.
Just as I was halfway through my first video, a message notification popped in, and in a few seconds, another came in, so I hurriedly opened it. To my dismay, it was another annoying asking-for-help messages to facilitate their mask procurement.
"Dr. Red, is your hospital still selling masks?"
"Of course."
"If you don't mind, please spare me even just one box."
Soon, the succession of similar messages alarmed me. I reached over the phone and connected myself to the Central Supply Room.
"Sir, good morning. Dr. Red here. Can you please charge to my account twenty boxes of masks?"
I heard him gasped and giggled before he replied, "Doc, I'm sorry. We are no longer giving out masks except for staff on duty. All companies are not accepting orders anymore, so if we continue selling out, we wouldn't have enough for our needs."
"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I then began to understand why I received those many desperate messages asking me to spare them a box. The people must have gone frantic in buying masks.
True enough, I opened my Google browser, and the alarming newsfeeds about people's panic buying of masks, Vitamin C, hand sanitizers, and bottles of alcohol greeted me. As a person who doesn't care about reading news, even if news portals were buzzing loudly about the same headlines that went around for almost a month already, I was shocked to see posts from social media that masks were no longer available anywhere. Posts about long lines of people queuing up in pharmacies to buy masks had gone viral and online sellers of N95 or plain earloop masks were enjoying their price hike.
I made another cup of coffee as I browsed through the headlines about the Bronc X virus. I opened one and learned that at that moment, the death toll from the outbreak in Sama island increased to hundreds, causing a worldwide threat.
Bronc X virus had originated in late 2019 in Sama, an island in the southwest region of Philippine territory. The source of the virus was still unknown but the epidemic started in this place.
Being a famous destination swarmed by tourists from all over the world, the status in this place had caused the fast spread of the virus to more than 300 countries worldwide. It then led to more than a thousand deaths in the Philippines alone, forcing retailers and travel operators to close stores, cancel flights, cruises, and warn investors about the inevitable financial crisis. To prevent the spread of the virus, thousands of people across the world had been placed in quarantine, especially those tourists coming from Sama Islands, and those people they were having close contact with.
My thoughts were still on those infected children and those quarantined travelers when a friend of mine, who was also a resident physician, appeared in the doorway.
"Red, have you saved a box for your family?" she asked, and through her worried looks, I could tell that she was also concerned about the shortage of masks.
I shrugged my shoulders off and stretched out my palms open. "Duh! Our existing infectious diseases here are more threatening than that. We don't even wear masks all the time even if we know that 70% of the air we breathe contains Mycobacterium tuberculosis."
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the species of pathogenic bacteria that also appeared as a serious worldwide health problem. It is an airborne bacteria, causing an infectious disease that primarily affects the lung.
"Yes, it's true. Our measles outbreak was also deadly, but since this infection is a worldwide threat now, we should also take precautions, especially if we have children and elderlies in the house. School administrators even require children to wear masks."
As soon as my friend left, I leaned my head on the backrest and closed my eyes. The caffeine in my third cup of coffee no longer did its task in keeping me awake. I still had a few hours to complete before I could finally leave and spend the rest of my day off.
Just when I drifted into sleep, having vivid dreams about the earlier events in my duty, a frightened voice, and a hand that shook my shoulders vigorously, woke me up. I opened my eyes but gathered my brows right away, hoping to show her that a simple tap could wake me up. I was sure I did not sleep well because I just had a boost of caffeine in my system.
"Doc, wake up!"
"What is it, this time?' I asked in a lazy tone.
"Doc, I'm sorry to wake you up soon. I know you're already exhausted, but we have a Bronc X virus suspect here."
I sprang to my feet at the mention of the virus. My eyes flew wide, and all my grogginess slipped away. I reached for my white coat and instructed the nurse to hand me the PPE. It stands for Personal Protective Equipment like gloves, goggles and glasses, gowns, head covers, masks, respirators, and shoe covers to protect one against the transmission of germs through contact and droplet routes.
"Give me the history," I asked while slipping into the set of protective gear; and she, assisting me in donning my gloves and in wearing my gown.
"A 30-year-old businessman, single, and on his vacation leave."
I didn't know why, but I got amused when she stated the word 'single'. It should have meant nothing because we always take notes on the history and personal details of every patient.
"What else," I proceeded, concealing the tickling sensation I foolishly felt inside. It was so silly of me.
"He went to Sama a month ago, four weeks after the declaration of the outbreak."
"Was he quarantined?"
"No, doc."
"I wonder how he escaped from it," I thought hard. As far as I knew, the government is strictly imposing the rules of quarantine.
"He is a wealthy businessman, doc. When he dropped on one of the destinations, he came here via his private chopper."
Before I entered to check him up, I looked at him first through the glass that separated the isolation room from the central ER. Dear skies, his tall and lean built captured my eyes. I stared at him to get more of his features, but for what seemed like mental telepathy, he turned in my direction and noticed me. I stepped back when he also stared at me, and for a moment, our eyes locked.
Left with no choice, I gave in to the enemy's demand. I agreed to dance with the alpha's daughter from Midwinter's pack on the night of my mating ceremony. I swayed with her. Spin her gracefully around the dance floor. The horrified eyes of my entire pack burn on me, demanding an explanation. I didn't just break the sacred rule we held on to for generations. I also ripped my mate's heart apart. Not giving her the honor of that last dance could mean one thing – it's over between us. .
We're both heartbroken. Ella lost a fiancé, and I lost a wife. Our paths crossed when I was trying to move on, and she in her denial stage. I thought we could help each other heal our broken hearts, so I tried to remove the guards I had been trying to secure around myself. And before I knew who she really was, I found myself falling in love again. However, fate always slaps me with its irony. Because I found out that all along, she was the secret enemy that had set out to destroy me. All because I was the one who caused her heartaches — the one who killed her fiancé.
Yen found out that she had been into a traumatic incident five years ago that caused her to forget a huge part of her past. And that past included her marriage to Kim, the CEO of the company she was working for. She may not have recognized him right away, but there was something about Kim that drew her emotionally to him. But having already married Zed, an almost perfect husband to her except for his sexual flaw, Yen found it hard to let him go. She tried to convince her boss to move on and let her live in peace with Zed, but Kim wasn't the kind to concede. What would happen then? Who would win the fight? And who would she choose in the end?
Indebted to Jim who accepted and loved her unconditionally despite her dark past, Jia vowed to forever give her life to him. She had no reason not to; Jim loved her and her son like his own. She thought she was over with Anthon, the man who caused her so much pain. Yet one day, their paths crossed again, and her heart began beating for him again. Torn between the sense of indebtedness and her own heart's desire, choosing then became so complicated. As both men were fighting for her love, who would she choose? Would she listen to her heart's desire, or would she keep her gratitude?
I stepped out of the prison doors towards the road of freedom. I should be happy because I had been here for five wretched years. All the pieces of evidence that my fiancee's lover set up to drive me out of her life pointed to me as the murderer. Little did I know that behind those bars inside the cell, my heart remained trapped. I stopped and turned to take a final glimpse of the building that had been my home for a long time. My lips twisted into a bitter smile, mocking at life's irony. All because of the truth that I no longer wanted to be free.
After marrying Zed, Yen soon realized that her perfect life was not what she expected. Zed harbored a dark flaw, a disorder that impacted their lives, creating insecurities and emotional turmoil. Committed to her marriage, Yen set about trying to solve their issues but this was soon challenged when she found herself having recurring dreams about another man. This man in her dreams was her boss but to Yen, they seemed more like memories than actual dreams, causing her to question her life and her very marriage to Zed. Did Yen have a forgotten past with her boss? If she were to search for answers, could they cause conflict or could it lead to happiness?
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
On her wedding night, Natalie's stepmother set her up to marry Jarvis, a disfigured and disabled man. Fortunately, she managed to escape, but little did she know that later she would fall for the man she was betrothed to.Jarvis pretended to be a poor man, but he didn't think that he'd fall head over heels for this woman.Their life went on until one day, Natalie found out her boyfriend's little secret."Huh? How could you have billions of dollars' worth of assets?" she asked in disbelief.Jarvis didn’t know how to respond.Being met with silence, she gritted her teeth angrily. "They said that you couldn't walk, but as far as I can see, you're strong enough to run a marathon."Still, he remained silent.Natalie continued, "They even said that you only have a few years to live. What about now?"Finally, Jarvis opened his mouth to explain. "Honey, this is all just a misunderstanding. Please calm down. Think about the baby.""Jarvis Braxton!"The man knelt down immediately.
After a passionate night, Verena left some money and wanted to leave, but was held by her companion. "Isn't it your turn to make me happy?" Verena, always disguising herself as ugly, slept with her fiance's uncle, Darren, in order to escape her engagement with her unfaithful fiance. Darren had respect and admiration. Word of his romantic escapades circulated, some saying they saw him kissing a lady against a wall and others calling it gossip. Who could ever tame Darren's heart? Then, shockingly, Darren was caught bending down to help Verena with her shoes, all to score a kiss from her!
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.