"For me, you were nothing but a pawn. To her, you were a damsel in distress. You need to learn a lesson, your love means nothing." ** After losing her taste bud for an unclear reason and with the gossip from everyone, Pearl Lane can't stand it anymore and skips her hometown. She heads to Light City in the hopes of finding something to occupy herself with, little did she know that something would come in the shape of someone, her boss and tormentor, Sinclair Harewood. Broken and recently married, Sinclair Harewood's damned life takes a rocky turn when her dead mother reappears in her life. And along with her, is Pearl Lane, a girl Sinclair had a hand in destroying her dreams. With secret agents hot on her family, Sinclair wants nothing but to take off, problem is, how could she leave Pearl behind with her reincarnated monster of a mother? ** Can Pearl forgive Sinclair when she learns she is to blame? What will Sinclair do when she learns the agent tailing her family to bring them down is no one other than Pearl's lover? * Tag along as we unravel the journey between a hopelessly in love lady with a damaged woman who has sworn to protect Pearl even if it means staying with a good-for-nothing husband and an abusive mother. * Cover photo not mine.
Pearl's POV:
It was New Year's Eve. I was thrilled because it aligned with my birthday. In addition, with the new year beginning, I will be the sole owner of the bakery. The problem is, the future is inevitable, and no one has a clear picture of what will happen in the next minute, or second, or hour. If only I knew what the future had in store for me, I would have stuffed my face with sweets.
Anyway, the meal preparation was going well as my mother had invited everyone around our hometown to celebrate with us. Unwelcoming wouldn't describe my personality, but I wished mama didn't invite them. I was unsure if she liked them here or if she was trying to show everyone she had everything under control. I just didn't know.
The kitchen was buzzing, I stood at a safe distance, watching everyone working. I was the lead chef and I loved it. with everyone busy doing their work. I was the lead chef, and I loved it. Yes, at least something came out of the situation.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of mama. When I turned and wished immediately I hadn't. Mama was glaring at me as if I killed her bee, I had gotten used to it so I waved at her, the smile on my face widening. She smiled back but it wasn't the same smile I knew. It was dangerous, dirty, and forced. I took longer stretches to her and asked mom, you are creeping me out."
Huffing, she waved her arms around. "Hurry up. We don't have much time."
"Of course, mom," I answered and practically ran away from her, her look gave me chills.
I took it all in, never caring why she did that. I felt for her, I surely did. My mom's life had taken a toll after she got pregnant with me, well, at least that was what she told me. She settled in this hometown and started her bakery.
Five years ago, karma slapped her so hard I never thought I would watch her even eating. She lost her taste bud. I was around sixteen then, and I watched my mother turning from full of life to an empty shell, and with no father, I had no other choice but to drop out of school.
When it came to baking, I was excellent, I provided the best services and even weddings from the next town came to make their orders. I had been happy, happier that I didn't have to do homework, study up late, and all that.
An empty shell turned into something intolerable, and I became a mother to my mother. An ear she yaps to. Instead of crying out, I got used to it because in this town it was normal for a child to be a parent and vice versa. In this town, you...
"Pearl, why are you so gloomy?" Catriona, my girlfriend, cut me off from my trail of thought. A smile appeared on my face so easily, she looked around the kitchen. With a proud look, she pecked me on the cheek and then whispered, "I am leaving you to it."
We finished cooking and we began the next part. Baking.
Yay me!
I had already made enough dough for cookies, cakes, and queen cakes, the only thing remaining was to put them in the oven. As I waited for them to get ready, everyone slid out of the kitchen, leaving me alone to stare at the three ovens my mama worshipped.
Around five beautiful hours later of me happily in my head, my mother and Catriona streamed into the kitchen. They took the meals to the sitting room and left me to arrange the cookies in the tray. The aroma filling in the kitchen was the reason I woke up in the morning, the reason I believed a new dawn meant good and new things.
I did a beautiful job arranging it, it looked amazing. I took a bite of one cookie and grinned as I chewed it. The smile disappeared from my face when I couldn't taste anything. Impossible!
I could never forget the measurement, I could do it in the middle of the night, hell, even in an ongoing attack. I was a baker born to bake. I designed new cake menus in my dreams. I took a different cookie and munched on it, but still, nothing. "Pearl, relax, brush your teeth, take a drink. Okay?" I advised myself.
Finishing, I carried the cakes, cookies, and queen cake to the sitting room. No one glanced at me and I didn't blame them. They were savoring the delicious heap of food as if their lives depended on it. Fearing they would hear how hard my heart was beating against my chest, I went hurriedly into my bedroom.
My walls were clear, with no paintings, no photos, no nothing. My mother had said no when I asked if I could decorate it. There was only a mirror, I looked at myself and slowly pulled my tongue out. It was unimaginable. I didn't want to think about what was happening.
I didn't want to think I was about to meet mama's fate. A woman with no dreams because she lost her only getaway. Her loyal taste bud has gone rogue! The idea of me ending up like my mother sent shivers all over my body.
The sudden scream from the sitting room made me jump, I went to see what was happening, and I found everyone looking at their watches. My mother screamed, "let us go outside."
"Countdown!" They shouted.
Someone stepped on my feet, and it hurt like hell but I said nothing, I rushed into the kitchen and took out my mother's favorite cake I made only for her. With adrenaline rushing through me, I didn't need a fork, I scooped some cake and ate it faster.
"Can it be I have lost my taste bud?" I wondered as I went from sugar to salt, to water, to juice, and to other food I knew I knew my body was finding it hard to accept what I was doing to it.
They were at number 3, and they were screaming at the top of their lungs. Life was cruel and I cursed for being bad to me. I got a pineapple from the fridge, I was sure I could feel its taste, and still nothing. By now my heart had left my body.
"One!" They yelled.
"No! Please, no!" I said breathlessly and stuffed a banana into my mouth.
"Happy New Year." "No!"
Heat rushed over my body, I knew my taste bud was gone, I knew because I saw what happened with mama. Suffocated, I rushed to my bedroom and stared at the mirror, the tongue was there, of course, it was, silly me.
"Here." Catriona said.
I grabbed the oreo from her hands and stuffed it into my mouth. The crunching sound was so annoying but I didn't care, I took another one and passed it around my mouth, was I too crazy to conclude this? Was my taste bud asleep or was it official that I lost my only ticket?
I am so dead!
"An attack on my father is an attack on me! And no one gets scotch free for that. No one!" Daniella swore fiercely to herself as she stared at the Moon Rock's Alpha. ************* After watching how the werewolves continuously humiliated her father, Daniella swore to herself that she was going to avenge that, to make everyone know that even if she was the omega's daughter no one was going to humiliate her or her family, more especially her father. An eye for an eye! Daniella promised herself to do everything in her power even if it meant to stoop as low as being the alpha's son's jealous girlfriend. The list is long but she has two main werewolves in her mind, to begin with; Moon Rock's Pack Alpha and her Birth Mother. Call her a sociopath and she wouldn't care, but she will correct you to call her, “AN AVENGER.” ************* One Fiery Woman. Two Mates. One Pack. Two Potentials Alphas. How can one angry sociopath Omega's Daughter take down an alpha and will she continue with her vengeance mission even after finding her mate who is supposedly the alpha's long-lost son?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
22-year-old Evelyn Carter is attempting to start over in California while avoiding her past. She will be embarking on a new career path as a private school teacher. She is smart, attractive, and doesn't put up with nonsense. Who wouldn't notice her? However, what happens when she attracts the attention of someone unwilling to let her go? Who wants her and nothing else after falling in love at first sight? A 25-year-old billionaire CEO and single father, Lucian Carrington. He takes what he wants and he is also a very dangerous man. All it needed was one look at a stunning woman to realize she was HIS, even though he doesn't believe in relationships because they always end. Preview: Miss Carter, you will be mine. I say firmly. "Release my arm, Mr. Carrington, before I force you to." She says, seeming to smile at me. I give her a sly smile. Squeezing my wrist with her other hand, she twists it uncomfortably. I gave a painful hiss. "Don't underestimate me, Mr. Carrington." "This is the only time I will allow you to walk away from me, Miss Carter." She glared at me as she turned. "Mr. Carrington, I am no possession of yours." I was left standing there when she opened the classroom door and left.
[Cute Baby + Secret Identity + Powerful hero and heroine!] Caroline loved Damian with all her heart for five whole years. She devoted herself to him and lived humbly for his sake. However, when the couple faced a crisis, she hoped that the news of her pregnancy would fix their marriage, but what she got in return was just a divorce agreement. And to make things worse, while she was about to give birth, she had fallen into someone's trap and her life was in danger. After managing to survive such a harrowing experience, she was determined to cut all ties with the man. Five years later, she re-emerged with her head held high, being the CEO of a famous company. Those who used to bully her now got a taste of their own medicine. And the truth about the past gradually surfaced... Dazzled by Caroline's newfound confidence, her ex-husband wanted to get back together with her, but she just turned a blind eye to his advances. Damian pleaded desperately, "Honey, our baby needs both his parents. Please remarry me!"