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Wisdom Weisz lost her house and ten-month-old daughter in a fire in a single day. And what's worse is that on the same day, her husband was making love to her best friend in the latter's apartment without paying any sort of remorse for her. Frustrated, she was left jobless and spent her remaining money in a luxury hotel's bar. With destiny as unpredictable as ever, she met the billionaire in the bar who she already came across at various moments of her life. The man offered her a job called, "Wife for Hire", meaning she will be his wife without any emotional attachments. If she accepts, the billionaire will pay her upfront with a hundred thousand dollars in her bank in just a blink of an eye. Wisdom eventually accepts as she deemed this as an opportunity for revenge to her former husband and best friend. As whirlpool of emotions stirred and a web of conflicts weaved, Wisdom will soon find out that this job was not easy as she thought as her heart begins to fall for the man who had employed her to be his hired wife.
The embers from the fire were no longer visible from this distance. Yet, ashes fell like snow despite the fact that the summer sun was already vanishing from the tawny sky.
Her blouse that was once neat white was now stained in cinders. Her hair that was once treated a week ago is now as crooked as the burnt tree in front of her house.
Wisdom was now sitting by the corner of the road. Her house was on fire just hours ago. The only thing remains of her were the apparel she was wearing, her second-hand laptop and mobile phone, and her coin purse that has no more than ten coins, as well as her leather wallet that she had since high school that has no more than a hundred dollars. Everything was burnt-including her ten-month-old baby.
Wisdom was well aware that misfortune is her middle name since she was born. But, the fact that her husband just left their infant daughter in their house and went to her best friend's condominium unit to have a bed session is just utterly outrageous...and unlawful.
Richard, her husband, could have at least brought their daughter while he had a bed wrestling with her best friend, Francine. Well, her husband had been an asshole ever since, that's why she wouldn't wonder if ever Richard passed as the dumbest man in the world-because his dumb as shit anyway.
Wisdom couldn't bring herself to weep; not even a tear would come out from her eyes. How could she weep when her only daughter died in fire while her husband was feasting his cobra inside her best friend?
She just arrived from work when she spotted the fire even from a kilometre away while driving her car-the car that was gifted to her during her eighteenth birthday.
She seized her mobile phone and dialled the number of her sister's best friend who was a lawyer. Thank heaven anyway that at least she has a little salvation in her marriage.
To be honest, she could no longer take it-no longer endure it. She will divorce Richard as early as now, even if he is still banging that snake best friend of hers.
Wisdom stared at the still-busy street. Paramedics giving first aid to the affected; several people are still wailing under the now starry sky.
'People are just too overacting. I didn't even cry here that my baby was just burnt and my husband was also burnt...burnt because of sexual pleasure.' She mused as she ate the chocolate that was given to her by her boss, Gerry.
In her relief, the smoke was no longer that black. Unlike hours ago, the smoke was wholly thick and black as charcoal.
Her phone vibrated. She checked her messages and was elated that her sister's friend, the lawyer, was happy to help her. Well, that's what a man gets in drilling different holes-a divorce.
She may be not that rich compared to Francine but at least, she has loyalty; she has a word of honour. Yet, it seems that Richard doesn't deserve her loyalty-not even an inch of her affection.
And Wisdom, as witty as her name, would prefer to live on her own than to reside with an asshole under one roof.
***
Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks.
Three weeks had passed and Wisdom Weisz was now living in her own walls, in her own roof. Her so-called husband really went and chose her best friend over her.
Her cheap apartment may be simple for an office worker, a secretary, like her. But, she's a plain girl after all. Simplicity is beauty for her; her apartment that's just a few blocks away from her office is already a jackpot for Wisdom.
She grabbed her car keys and locked her apartment door as she got the paper that contained her grocery list. Wisdom was always frugal ever since college; she's much more frugal now, especially since she was living alone and her monthly salary may only last for weeks for a city's daily life.
Wisdom then drove to the nearest grocery store. She inhaled as soon as she arrived. Even though her sorrow still lingers deep in her heart, she must paint a cheerful face. The world doesn't need much drama when each one of our lives already consists of various dramas.
'I hope that the two snakes are not in there...' She prayed.
As she opened her car door, the sight of her ex-best friend's car was caught by her turquoise eyes.
"She's here...or perhaps the two of them."
As brave as ever, she walked briskly towards the store's entrance, disregarding any chance of her and Francine meeting. The store was huge anyway, perhaps there's only gonna be a 50/50 probability of her meeting that bitch. She's here for shopping anyway, and not for having a quarrel with a husband-stealer woman that called herself her best friend.
She was in the meat section when she came across the person that made her gladly sell her soul to the devil as long as she will not meet her again.
Unexpectedly, their eyes met. But, Wisdom was not looking at Francine's eyes. She was looking at her belly. The last time she saw her belly three months ago, it was still flat. Now, it was big and circular as ever, as if she was now carrying a three-month baby.
'Whore....' Wisdom whispered in her mind. She was about to walk away from the meat section when the pregnant snake called her.
"How are you, Wisdom?" It was not a thoughtful question. It was more of a mockery, an insult to let the other shoppers hear their conversation.
"I'm fine," Wisdom answered as bland as ever.
Francine portrayed a so-called sweet face. "That's great. Richard and I just went to the ob-gyn an hour ago. In fact, he's here in the fruits section." She pointed with her hand that was still holding a bag of tenderloin meat.
"That's good." Wisdom answered back, looking wholly uninterested. If only she could sprint away as fast as a cheetah, she had long done it if the bitch didn't spark a hideous conversation.
"I heard you and Gerry are getting together, eh?"
There it is again. Blaming her that she had an affair with her boss so that she will look like a cowering rat that was caught in a rat trap. She could no longer hold her tongue. This bitch deserves what she was about to do.
So, she grabbed one of the meats that was still fresh with blood and threw it on her face-the face that was bombarded with lots of make-up.
"Speak another word, and the next blood that will be splattered here will be coming from your body!" Wisdom shrieked, making the other shoppers jerked their head towards the two women.
Richard, who was carrying peaches and Cortland apples, rushed towards the two women by the meat section.
Francine, as if she was a Hollywood actress, cried and ducked as if a child throwing tantrums. Richard helped her stand and she was mumbling that Wisdom was the first one to attack her, threatening to hurt her. Wisdom just stared at them and crossed her arms. She already knew this was gonna end up in a drama show. Francine is such a bitch that uses crying as a form of self-defense. She's utterly a dumb chicken; definitely a groin-loving whore.
Richard was about to attack her as well when his hand was stopped by a man. The man was wearing a gray tuxedo and was absolutely taller than Richard. A "C.E.O." name plate was situated by his left chest, just above his beating heart.
"I am the C.E.O. of this grocery store. The three of you are making mayhem in the midst of a jolly morning. It's better if you're gonna sort this up or am I gonna be the one to let it sort where the three of you gonna spend the rest of the day in the police station."
The man briefly looked at Wisdom from head to toe. He didn't even glance at Francine, whose white lace dress was now stained in bloody red and was pretending to quiver as if she was the victim-as if she was the one being attacked. Pathetic.
It was Wisdom who spoke this time. "We'll sort this out. Sorry for the chaos caused by these two cheaters."
Well, that was badass. Richard looked at her with disbelief-not anger. Disbelief because, never in her life, Wisdom acted as badass and as merciless as ever. Well, time's changing. Change is the only thing constant in this unrelenting world. The world that, if you're not cruel too, you will definitely not survive even a year.
She looked at Richard back, and then to the snake who was baptized as Francine. She then spoke with such a loud voice that could probably be heard by a whole auditorium.
"Eyes here everyone! You see these two people over here..." Wisdom called the attention of all people and pointed at the two people in front of her with her index finger. "This man is my ex-husband, and this pregnant woman over here is my husband's mistress before we were divorced. The day my house was on fire, which was also the day that burned our ten-month-old daughter to ashes, was the day that he spend her time with his mistress-playing with her abyss and blowing my husband's horn. I am telling you this so that you'll keep an eye on your girlfriends, wives, husbands, and boyfriends that these two will never steal them away from you, as they've done to me. Perhaps if there is an award for the cheaters of the year, these two would probably be worthy of that god-damned price. That's all and thank you for your attention."
Wisdom then walked away straight into the exit door. Richard and Francine were speechless and petrified. The C.E.O. was actually smirking while shaking his head.
The whole store's eyes were not on Wisdom who was walking away like a murderer walking away from a crime scene. No. The people's eyes were on the two cheaters who had probably been nailed on the floor they were standing on.
Love lost, love chased, and love reborn-this collection of werewolf short stories weaves together tales of passion, heartbreak, and redemption. From powerful Alphas who regret letting their fated mates slip away to strong-willed heroines who rise above betrayal, each story explores the raw emotions of second chances and self-discovery. Some wolves fight to reclaim what they've lost, while others learn that true strength lies in walking away. As the moon guides them through pain and healing, they must decide: cling to the past or embrace the future? In "Fated Mates Torn by Hate", experience stories of chasing love, finding self-worth, and letting go of old wounds to step into the light of a new dawn.
In a werewolf country cursed to be forever cold, Evadne wished under the full moon for many years to find her mate and escape from her hell of a home where her father, Alpha Marcus of the Moonflame Pack, and Elodie, Evadne's sister, constantly made sure her day won't end without her being bullied or beaten by them. When she finally turned eighteen years old, Evadne find her mate, Alpha Gregor of the Fireheart Pack. She promised him that she would be the best mate and Luna for him. However, Elodie reveals he's her fiance and boyfriend and begs the Alpha to ruthlessly reject her in front of the whole Moonflame Pack at Evadne's very own birthday party. Evadne's heart became even more shattered when her father banished her and ordered her to never return to their lives when she humiliated his favorite daughter, Elodie, on that same night. Alone, she was imprisoned in the dungeons of a pack that thought she was a Rogue-when it was attacked by the Alpha King's forces since the said pack was the only remaining one who refused to bow down to him. As she tried to escape the ensuing chaos, she met him, and never had she thought that the Moon Goddess would let her second-chance mate be Alpha King Kallias himself-the cause of the eternal winter and now the most feared Alpha.
“Where are you taking me?” I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he put me down. Before I could blink, the huge white wolf shifted before me. The man who now stood in its place was handsome, muscular… and completely naked. * * * Elaine Rutherford has spent her entire life wishing for an escape from her dysfunctional family. But when her wish is granted in the form of being offered up as a human sacrifice to an elite village of werewolves…it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Every leap year, Stella’s Soul receives a mortal woman from the neighbouring city of Moonburn, just beyond the wall, to bear children for the chosen werewolf. And it just so happens this year is a leap year. On the next full moon, Elaine is set to be married to the handsome werewolf billionaire, Tyler Jane Moonstorm. Despite her doubts, she still hopes that this will be a better life than she’s used to. At least that’s what she thought…
“I was looking for a man named Zarion, but I ended up here.” Most of them gasped when I uttered Zarions’ name. “Don’t mention that name because it’s cursed!” someone hissed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. “Why? "He's the Alpha of this pack. He was banished because he didn't want to take the position. Rumour says that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off. "And?" I swallowed. "Kill her. He wants to kill his mate." *** Alpha Zarion is on a quest to find his mate and kill her because he despises the idea of a mating bond. During a winter storm, he met Cassidy Bentley who saved him from death. He knows he has no time to waste but Zarion was curious about her, deliriously wanting every inch of her skin and touch…until he found out that the girl is mated to his number one rival, Alpha Brandon. Alpha Brandon rejected Cassidy because she’s a human—which he greatly despises. She eventually started getting over him, pouring out her love to Alpha Zarion who obsessively wants her. During the night Zarion and Cassidy will mark and mate, the girl's first mate finally comes to his senses and goes to find her. But the first mate already found Cassidy in another man's arm, in his stepbrother’s arms, who was just about to mark her…
In the land of Westfall, three packs rule: the Night Storm Pack, whose wolves are gifted with wind and storm abilities; the Shadow Rose Pack, who are masters of shadows and poison; and the Fire Moon Pack, who can wield flames and render themselves immune to fire. But only the luckiest packmembers have those powers, and not all who possess them have wolves. Meet Sasha Forster, a wolfless and helpless Slave of the Fire Moon Pack-until the ruthless Alpha Alain of the Shadow Rose Pack, the one who was cursed by her mother to marry Sasha and have an heir with her, saves her from her pack's tyrannical Alpha. The Fire Moon Pack now whisks Sasha to be the payment to Alpha Alain and Alain is also trying his best to make her his and end the curse. But Sasha's heart has already begun to beat for her childhood friend and her pack's new Alpha, Ansel. Worse, Sasha became more perplexed when she accidentally revealed to the entire Fire Moon Pack that she has fire powers, and all the pack now either envy her or hate her. When her life and heart bombarded her with difficult choices, would she choose her heart over her mind? Or will she choose responsibility over love?
Minerva was so close to tying the knot with her long-time boyfriend Derrick when an unexpected accident fatally killed him. With only five months before she’ll give birth, she had look for various jobs that can raise her and her upcoming child until she met Darwin Gray, the CEO of the biggest company in their city and happens to be Derrick’s half-brother. She was skeptical at first to live with him until Darwin revealed that Derrick actually sold her to him in order to finance Derrick’s gambling lifestyle. Minerva was absolutely heartbroken and was left with no choice than to be his Mrs. Gray. But, as the winds of fate change, Minerva will soon realize that one must never judge a book by its cover—that despite Darwin’s ruthless appearance lies a heart that has long been yearning for a one true love.
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
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."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
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?
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?