Amelia and her two brothers become orphans all of a sudden, and she must stand firm in order to sufficiently cater for her two brothers. They get kicked out of the only place they knew as home and find themselves wandering around, and everyone seems to be evading them. The government wants to force her to take the boys to a children's home but she fights them too. Her grandma turns against them, just when they need her most. Alone, she fights rejection, backstabbing, betrayal and ill will but she soldiers on until she finally gets herself the education she yearned for, a career she wished for, and a house she dreamed about.
CHAPTER 1
The room smelt of death. Twenty year old Amelia stood by the doorway and assessed the situation. Both her parents lie on the bed, dead.
Her mother's death she could easily understand, she had gotten seriously sick after childbirth, and her health had continued deteriorating at a very fast rate. At some point she became so weak that she couldn't breastfeed her newborn baby, now in Amelia's arms happily drinking from his bottle, oblivious of what had just happened. Before she slept the previous night she had a very high fever, so high that she slipped in and out of consciousness, sometimes muttering incorrigible words. Her father had promised to take her to the hospital in the morning but Amelia went to bed wondering whether she'll make it.
Amelia's father was a construction worker and he was the sole breadwinner, a very strong man, heavily built, handsome and of very few words. His love for their mother was immense to the extent that he stopped going to work when she was pregnant, to take care of her. The pregnancy came with all sorts of complications and when finally the baby came she was too weak .
Amelia helped her father with the duties, mostly taking care of young Thomas. Her father tended to her mother, so jealously that he didn't want anyone else near her. She had another brother, Willis, younger by a few years but that one liked playing with other boys from dawn to dusk.
What she didn't understand as she stood watching their parents bedroom was the death of their father. He lay next to their mother, his eyes closed, very peaceful in his death. In a note on the bedside table, which she had already read, he had outlined the reason why he had decided to take his life.
He had explained how much he loved his wife, his journey through life with her and how he had suffered watching her getting weaker every passing day. He blamed himself for her death, writing that it was his financial weakness that hindered him from seeking for better medical care for her.
Now that she had died, he found no reason to be alive and he couldn't live without her. Therefore he had taken some poison. He didn't indicate in the note which poison he'd taken.
In the final paragraph he'd pleaded with Amelia to take care of herself, Willis and the baby Thomas. He had instructed her to inform her grandma about his and her mother's death immediately. The note still lay at the table where she'd returned it after reading.
Her grandma lived a few blocks away and she had already send someone to inform her that she was needed urgently. She would have sent Willis but true to his nature he was out playing with his peers, unaware of the disaster that had befallen them.
"Why dad? Why did you do this?" She found herself speaking to him loudly, after which she burst into loud sobs and cried. Thomas, still in her hands, continued drinking his milk, taking a break once in a while to utter a few baby words, that no adult understood. The good thing about Thomas was that he rarely cried.
She didn't know how long she'd been standing on the doorway, but it was a long time. Her subconscious brought back very old memories, when she was a child and her mother was in good health. She loved her very much and one particular incident stood out when her parents took her with them when they went on an holiday. She had enjoyed the sandy beaches, the ocean breeze and the salty ocean waters.
"I will miss all that, but dad, why? Why were you so selfish? You only cared about yourself, your feelings. Now what am I going to do?" She asked loudly.
"Don't worry my child," a voice from behind her said, "Everything will be fine. Come, let me have a look." It was her grandma, shorter than her and with her head full of gray hair. For how long she had been standing behind her Amelia did not know. Her words came as a surprise and Amelia turned to face her. Grandma walked past her and into the bedroom and Amelia stepped aside and fixed her eyes at the old woman, concentrating on her face.
Though she tried to conceal it, the pain that hit her was immense, and Amelia could see through it. The aging lady tried very hard to suppress her tears, to look strong, but the tears still came. She produced a white handkerchief and wiped them away and just then she moved her eyes to the table and saw the suicide note. She took it then walked out, beckoning to Amelia to join her in the sitting room.
"I need to drink something. What do you have?" She asked as she sat down.
Her father had a bottle of alcohol that stayed untouched for long, until recently when he would take a little every evening. The unmarked bottle was now half full and Amelia brought it to her grandma.
"And what is this my child?" She asked, removing her moist eyes from the suicide note she was reading.
"I don't know but it's some type of alcohol." Amelia answered. She had placed Thomas on the coach and now she picked him up back into her arms.
Her grandma brought the bottle to her nose and took a breath, then announced that it was brandy to the uninterested Amelia, then drank straight from the bottle. She returned her attention to the note and a moment later she had gone through it.
"Here is what we're going to do, you need to find your father's phone and call the police. I'll be with you through this. All of you will be fine. Speaking of which, where is Willis?"
"I don't know, I'll look for him later, I think he needs to know." Amelia said as she went back to the bedroom. She had lied unknowingly, because she knew exactly where Willis spend his free time with other boys.
A moment later she emerged holding her father's phone. Her mother didn't have one. She dialed the police hotline and talked with them, breaking into a sob at some point.
"They'll be coming in thirty minutes." She said.
"Put that child to bed now, we need to talk." Her grandma said as she took another swig from the bottle.
She looked at the sleeping child in her arms and wished she was a kid herself, without a worry in her mind. She had felt so secure herself until this morning when her parents delayed in waking up and she decided to find out why.
Now she sat there devastated, wondering how she was going to pull through with her two young brothers. She had happily taken care of Thomas with the hope that her mother would recover and take it up from her, but obviously that was not going to happen, she was now stuck with him for good.
"Amelia!" Her grandma's voice woke her from her reverie and she shot to attention, still holding the baby. She walked to the bedroom they shared with Willis and put Thomas to sleep on her bed. Then she went back and sat facing her grandma.
"Amelia, my child, everything as you know it has changed. Everything. You and I need to be strong than ever because things will be tough. But don't worry, I'll be with you to the end." She said.
Amelia fought back her tears, and finally gave up, and with her head between her hands, she burst out in loud sobs.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."