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?
She read the message on her phone without much fuss about it. Her need to keep up with preparing for their planned reunion with her high school batch took all her time lately. She accepted the task of tracking down those classmates who were not heard of ever since they graduated.
It was from Anthon, one of her classmates in her high school class.
From first to the fourth year, they shared one class as they both belonged to their school's forty elite students. They were specially selected and separated from the rest as the cream of the crop. Being exposed to rigid and advanced training, they were the school's frontier for different academic competitions at their level.
"Hi, Jia! Have you come up with something?" He was asking about a new plan that she may have thought about. But his intentions were clear enough to her as crystals in broad daylight.
"Should you need any help, don't hesitate to call me."
She grabbed her phone this time and thanked him. A smile curved in her lips as her thoughts brought her back fifteen years ago...
_____
He was tall, bronze-skinned, and handsome. They were not close friends, but he would often find time to sit beside her during lunchtime and talked about anything.
However, she wished the opposite. She badly wanted him to get away from her sight as she was deeply engrossed in finishing up the chapters of her Danielle Steel or Sidney Sheldon's editions. These books just kept her sleepless all the time.
At other times, she just wanted to settle down in a corner and sleep on an armchair. While she maintained her diligence in her studies, she couldn't just set aside her consuming obsession with reading. She could last three consecutive sleepless days and nights just to finish a thousand -paged book.
However, she could not deny that there were sparks in his eyes meant only for her and the hidden truth that there was also a special affection that grew within her for him that no one knew about - even him.
Although she was aloof the entire year, Anthon always found time to be with her. He was so good at choosing those topics that tore out her defenses eventually. She may not be aware of it, but later she realized that she had already given her trust in him. So then, confidential matters about herself became easier for her to confide in.
He was a great listener, not opinionated. He knew when to butt in and knew when to keep silent. Little did she realize that she had already fallen, most especially when he started to offer a shoulder for her to cry on during her most vulnerable moments.
She may be reluctant to admit it, but her routine chat with him made her look forward to it every day. As her growing confidence reached its peak, a special affection deep within her heart began to grow. She saw the sparks in his eyes and knew that it's every flicker matched the leaps in her heart. She came to believe that their feelings were mutual, but neither of them dared to admit it even after their graduation day.
One day, just when she thought that a deep affection had finally blossomed in both of their hearts, he came to shatter it, instead.
"How's my beautiful friend?" he greeted, mumbling his usual line every time he approached her.
He was towering in height though his muscles had not perfected yet into a young man's ideal body mass. However, in her eyes, he was stunning.
"Jia, something's troubling me these days. I want to confess ut to you ...but before that, I want to thank you first for coming into my life. With you around, I have finally found someone to share my life with."
Share his life with? Is he going to say it now? Is he finally going to say those words she had been imagining and hearing in her dreams?
All of a sudden, her heart fluttered that she could no longer bring herself to look into his eyes. It throbbed even harder when she imagined him ahead, saying, "I love you, Jia..."
Finally...
The sudden rush of thrill made the pounding of her heart increased a mile per second. How would she respond?
"Anthon, the feeling is mutual. I love you as well..."
"Damn it," she cursed herself inwardly. Why couldn't her heart calm down?
While it took her a great effort to relax, she slowly replied while fixing her gaze into her hands.
"What is it, Anthon?"
Anthon gently held her hand that she was forced to steal a glance into his eyes. It was warm, and she was thrilled even more. It sent a stronger sensation into her core and made her plunge into more intense excitement.
Anthon was about to say it...
He had long been waiting for this chance. But his doubts and insecurities overpowered him. Instead of saying those lines he had been mastering for days, he quickly changed it into a lie. He wanted to see her reaction to the rumors spreading around.
"Jia, I am in a relationship with... Ayanna."
Ayanna had been chasing and flirting with him all those years. She, herself, was responsible for spreading out the rumors that they were already in a relationship. Jia had also heard about it.
Upon hearing him, her world came crumbling down in just a second. It fell too heavily, crashing painfully into her heart. It was a confirmation of what she had already heard about. But what made it even worse was that he was the one confirming it.
She almost cried.
Emotionally battered, she somehow gathered her courage quickly and pretended to be unaffected.
"You love her?" she blurted foolishly, something she regretted right away. What right did she have to ask about it?
His reply was odd and confusing.
"I don't know. All I know is I'm in love with someone else."
That was too much! That was just too shattering. She thought she already knew him enough. She presumed that their friendship made her understand who he was. And all she knew was his sincerity in all things. Who would have thought that he gets himself entangled with many girls? Who was that 'someone else'?
She had no right to feel this way. She did not own him. She may be the most brilliant young lady on the whole campus, but she did not possess the beauty of Ayanna, the campus belle.
Didn't it matter most? Men always prefer beauty over intelligence. She may be confused at his confession about loving someone else despite having a relationship with another, she did not ask about it anymore. What would she get from asking? Would it be a way to win him back? Of course, not. She'd rather keep her silence and keep the pain to herself rather than being humiliated over her foolish assumption. She could never face the shame, if ever.
Amazed with herself for the courage she mustered, she further pretended.
"I'm happy for you, Ton. You have my support."
"You will not ask me about anything? About Ayanna and the rumors? "
"It's enough. I understand."
He stared into her eyes with confusion and pain, but he lost the courage to explain. Perhaps because she looked unaffected. Probably because he had confirmed through her reaction that he, indeed, had no place in her heart. He was right after all; in her eyes, he was just a mere friend. Little did he know that he broke Jia's heart. Those insecurities he had felt, she also felt the same.
After that day, she went home during lunchtime. During their dismissal in the afternoon, she would also hurry up to go ahead of everyone. When she couldn't, she would hide somewhere until she was sure that he had already left.
Days passed by swiftly, and she noticed that he did not care about her anymore. There were a few times that they were brought close to each other through some class activities. Yet, he seemed to have forgotten entirely that once in their lives, they became special friends.
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?
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?
I learned about his secret, and my revenge began. I didn't care anymore about the consequences of my decision; I was too blinded by all the lies. I thought I'd laugh hard to see him crawling on the ground, but to my surprise, I didn't. Perhaps because the truth prevailed that this stubborn heart of mine still loved this man that I now despised. I lied to myself, denying this feeling for him. All because of my stupid revenge. Just when I thought I couldn't fool myself anymore, I realized I was too late. And I just couldn't cry hard enough.
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
At the office, Samantha is mouthy AF and hellbent on testing my patience. So you can imagine my surprise when my new personal assistant walks into my club with a very specific fantasy. When the man Samantha's paired with doesn't stick to the rules, I step in to take his place. Wearing a mask protects my identity, and soon the little wildcat from the office is telling me all her darkest secrets and fantasies. During the day, she gives me hell, but at night, she becomes my wounded kitten. I know I'm playing a dangerous game. She doesn't know I'm one of the heads of the Cosa Nostra. She doesn't know her boss and her nightly visitor is the same person. With my enemy on the attack and her past coming to haunt her, our secrets come out in the most explosive way possible, threatening to rip Samantha away from me. But my wildcat has another thing coming if she thinks I'll ever let go.
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."
For two years, Bryan only saw Eileen as an assistant. She needed money for her mother's treatment, and he thought she'd never leave because of it. To him, it seemed fair to offer her financial help in exchange for sex. However, Bryan didn't expect to fall for her. Eileen confronted him, "You love someone else, yet you always sleep with me? You're despicable!" The moment she slammed the divorce papers down, he realized she was the the mysterious wife he married six years ago. Determined to win her back, Bryan lavished her with affection. When others mocked her origins, he gave her all his wealth, happy to be the supportive husband. Now a celebrated CEO, Eileen had everything, but Bryan found himself lost in another whirlwind...
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
For seven years, Claudia allowed herself to live under Eddie's shadow. She thought that devoting herself to him would eventually win his heart, but it turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking on her part. When they finally cut ties, Claudia did not argue or ask for any compensation. Instead, she chose her peace and left without looking back. She never imagined that Eddie would suddenly appear on her wedding day, furious and wild-eyed. He glared at her groom and declared, "I was here first!"