The group is a popular clique with secrets that would make new girl, Lynne, turn in her grave. They're lying, scheming, and cruel to the core. She's irresistibly drawn to the moody Denny, but is he only playing with her too?
I was running from my past, but not by my own choice. Life has a way of making choices for you-or fathers, rather. My father had rather impulsively decided it was time to forget every sordid detail of his former existence, and guess who got caught in the fray? Me.
That was the only way to explain how I ended up in a podunk town, population 1,517-just enough people to plant some fence posts to house the cow pies and barn dances. Great. My idea of fun exactly.
My father called Splinter Bridge "quaint" and "mysterious" and a "great little adventure". You don't want to know what I called the place. Needless to say it wasn't pretty or at all appropriate within civilized company.
I could feel my arms straining under the weight of the box. It was one of many lovely heifers of assorted cans I'd carried to and from the shelves all morning, leaving my muscles burning with fatigue and my skin chaffed from cardboard corners. The cardboard box landed a little too hard, issuing a metal clatter. Air burst out the side of my cheek as I examined my reddened arms.
I appeared tired, but relatively calm to the outside world, but inside I could feel the mental tirade beginning with a tinge of stinging bitterness that had laced my thoughts all morning.
Didn't he even think to ask me if I wanted to be here? No, of course not! Because my feelings meant nothing. He just had to take me away from my friends-my life-in his quest to forget.
The only thing that meant squat to him was a cold can of beer. That's what he squandered our savings on; that's how he spent his time. He'd even used up the school fund that he and mom had set aside for me so that I'd have some cash for college. How was I supposed to pay for my education? More importantly, how was I supposed to find the cash to run away from him?
So mom died. And yeah, it sucked. It sucked so badly that I cried on and off for a good two weeks before I was able to pull myself together. I almost hadn't made it to the funeral. The viewing had been a nightmare, shaking all those hands and smiling at all those nameless, faceless lines of people. The stifling air, the condolences, her cold and lifeless form...
I threw the image from my mind as I began to stack the shelf.
But at least I could stand the site of the park my parents used to job through, I thought. At least I could stand the pancake house we used to dine at every Saturday morning. And mom's favourite cat. Dad had even stopped working at the University because my mom had taken some upgrading classes there once. Big freaking deal! He didn't have to go completely nutty over it! He was supposed to be the calm and sensible professor-it's what he'd always been!
And now look at me! I thought, arranging the spaghetti-Os that I'd haphazardly slapped onto the shelf. I'm working in Mr. Splinter's mart just so that I'll be able to pay for school next year.
I sighed and tried to calm down. There was no point in getting angry. It wouldn't change anything. There were lots of kids that had to work to pay for their education. So I'm not spoiled rotten anymore. So what?
In one year I'd be out of high school and I could go back to Edmonton. I could room with Beth and Tia just like we'd always planned. Everything would work out. It only took one year in a strange school.
I bit my lip as I pushed the cans even farther back to make room for another row. My father was right. Splinter Bridge was a weird place. In fact, it was downright odd. I mean, who expects to walk down a street and find people hanging laundry off their front porches? This is the twenty-first century for goodness' sake!
I actually imagined this town with this dense, almost dark aura around it. Which is really weird. Part of my overactive imagination or something of that sort.
"Lynne?" A voice asked and then a stern-looking lady was turning into the aisle with her hands on her hips. Sue Cortino. She was the owner and manager of Mr. Splinter's Mart. Great. "Is everything fine over here? I thought I heard slamming sounds."
"It's fine," I responded and swallowed, managing a simultaneous half-smile. I'm pretty sure I didn't convince her if her following reaction was any indication.
She frowned slightly, a crease running between her brows. She pulled a hand through her short red hair that was mussed because she was always messing with it. Part of her whole "the customers are being so difficult!" routine that I had witnessed for the past week. Translation: she was feeling harassed.
"Now Lynne," she said in an almost huffy tone. "It's really nice having you work here. But you need to be a little more careful with the goods. If you dent one of those cans, it'll be coming out of your pay check."
"Okay," I replied. I knew I should say something a little more apologetic. I needed this job badly. But I'm not exactly your most diplomatic person. What exactly was I supposed to say? "Sorry for slamming your cans against the shelf but it made me feel better"? I think I was better off leaving it at "okay".
Anton is at the point in his life where he faces constant barriers in his path of finding his own identity. Not only does he have to push past his parents' expectations, but he has to deal with the unwavering attention of a Mafia underboss.
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
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!"
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."
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."
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.
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?"