Chelsea married Russell for the sake of her dying mother. She needed money to pay the expensive medical bills. Russell never loved Chelsea and was only using her for his revenge on his family. However, he failed to notice that Chelsea was truly in love with him. Russell was surrounded by pretty ladies and never cared how Chelsea felt about it. Until one day, Chelsea asked for a divorce, because she felt depleted from this hopeless marriage. Russell then realized that he couldn't live without her and begged her to stay. But she said, "See you never, Mr. Murrillo."
Deloria's POV
The birds' chirping outside the window woke me up. I struggled to open my eyes and tapped at the window. "Bad birds..." I muttered.
After a glance at the time, I threw back the covers and got out of bed.
Though it was only October, Los Angeles had already started to get cold. The icy air made me shiver.
Dozy, I took out clothes from the wardrobe. As I was putting on my panties, someone knocked on my bedroom door.
I guessed it must be my mother, Maeve Parritt. She always woke up earlier than me.
"Just a sec, Mom." My voice was husky, cuz I wasn't wide awake.
Suddenly, the door opened.
"What are you doing, Deloria?" Woody Todd shouted loudly from the doorway.
"Damn it! Why did you come in? Have you no manners?" I came fully awake out of alarm and quickly covered my body with my dress.
He kept staring at me. Although the clothes hid my body, his gaze still made me feel uncomfortable.
"I've knocked," Woody shrugged and said casually.
"But I didn't allow you to come in. Get out!" I snapped.
Impatiently, he said, "Hurry up and make breakfast!"
With that, he closed the door and left.
Woody was the husband of Elaine Shortell, a friend of mine.
Maeve and I were currently staying at Woody and Elaine's condo.
It was already the fifth time this month that Woody barged into my bedroom without my permission.
Every time he did this, I threw a fit.
But he always looked nonchalant, as if I was making a big deal out of nothing.
I waited for a while, making sure that Woody didn't come back. Then I finally started to change my clothes.
When I had just put on my skirt, the door was opened again.
"Scram! You jerk!" I cursed. But when I saw the person who came, I was stunned.
"What happened?" Maeve looked at me in surprise.
I held her apologetically and said, "Sorry, Mom. I thought it was Woody."
"What? He burst in again?" Maeve pushed me away and raged, "Deloria, we gotta call the police. He's harassing you!"
"Wait, Mom." I stopped her and explained, "He didn't do anything. He just told me to make breakfast. Even if we call the police, we don't have any evidence. Just forget it."
"Deloria, I know what harassment is. I think the police do, too," Maeve said to me seriously.
I had to tell the truth. "I just didn't wanna upset Elaine."
Elaine was my bestie. She used to be a workaholic. A few years ago, she married Woody. Since then, she became a full-time housewife.
Woody's attitude toward Elaine got worse. It was already a great help for Elaine to let me and Maeve stay at her apartment temporarily.
I couldn't let the police arrest Woody.
"I'll find an apartment soon."
I was just saying it to comfort Maeve. I worked at a jewelry store with a meager income, and the rent in Los Angeles was so high that I wasn't sure if I could find an affordable place to live.
Maeve sighed and patted my shoulder, saying, "I remember your college classmate, Jonathan Holt, used to pursue you. If you had agreed to date him back then, maybe you would be Mrs. Holt by now."
"Mom, don't say that. I didn't like Jonathan," I immediately shook my head and said.
"I know. I just hope you could find someone who loves you." Maeve gave me a hug. Then she turned and left the room.
After changing my clothes, I was about to go downstairs. Suddenly, I remembered that it was a bit cold today. So I turned around and walked into Maeve's room, trying to grab a coat to wear.
My gaze swept over Maeve's desk and fixed on an envelope.
Feeling curious, I opened it and found a pathology report.
When I saw the word "cancer", my hands trembled.
'Maeve got cancer? Why didn't she tell me?'
"Deloria! Still haven't changed your clothes?" Maeve's voice sounded outside the door.
I put the report in the envelope and placed it back on the table in a flurry. Then I took a coat and rushed out of Maeve's room.
I walked to the kitchen. Acting like I never saw the report, I calmly made breakfast for the other three with Maeve and served it on the table.
Later, I grabbed a piece of toast and left home in a hurry.
Walking on the street, I wrapped my coat tightly around me. Thinking of that pathology report, I was engulfed by sadness.
I suddenly understood why Maeve had been urging me to get married.
She must hope that I'd find someone who could take care of me.
At this thought, I made a decision. I couldn't let Maeve keep worrying about me all day long.
I took out my phone and called my other friend, Daphne Romero.
After the phone was answered, Daphne's sweet voice came from the other end of the line. She said, "Hon, what's up?"
"Daphne, remember when you said you wanted to set me up with a man suitable for marriage? Is he married now?" I blurted.
"Of course not. OMG, are you saying you agree to meet him?" Daphne exclaimed.
"Yes," I smiled. "I wanna meet him ASAP."
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?"
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
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."
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
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."
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."