(18+. book contains mature scenes) In Joana's life, a complicated love story unfolds. Joana, a young woman scarred by a painful past, simply longs for love and affection. However, she finds herself stuck in a challenging situation, married to Fred Malcolm, a man with a girlfriend. Fred is determined to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, and he resists any connection with Joana. But Joana's charm gradually draws him in, making their bond hard to ignore. The big question is: Can their growing love and attraction overcome the obstacles they face, or is this just another sad love story? This family realism drama explores the complexities of their hearts and the challenges they must confront in their unconventional love triangle.
JOANA'S POV
"Joana!" my elder sister, Becky, shouted from downstairs. I was up in my bedroom reading some magazine I had found on the couch downstairs.
I didn't have the power to answer because it was obviously one of her tantrums. It was always the torture Joana game in this house.
"Joana Emily Arnold!" she shouted. She was probably trudging upstairs now. My family members calling me by my full name meant fire. I had asked for it anyway but was it really necessary to answer a scolding call?
In two minutes my door burst open revealing Becky. She glared at me with her you-have-not-seen-the-last-of-me eye.
"I've been calling you for ages yet you've been here all along pretending you couldn't hear me, Joana and what on earth are you doing with my magazine. I thought I warned you not to touch my things without my permission," she hissed snatching the magazine away from me leaving marks on my hand with her long expensive nails.
As if the drama wasn't enough, my mother, Isabelle Arnold, made her entry with her other son aka Becky's twin brother, Tony, right behind her. Save me, Lord.
"Can we ever get peace in this house? What's the ruckus about now?" Mom asked.
I remained silent looking at them. I didn't want any trouble.
"I think it's high time you got rid of Joana, Mother. I just can't stand her anymore. You have to take action," Becky flared folding her arms.
"Joana, what have you done this time?" Mom asked shooting me daggers.
Of course, in terms of picking sides, my mom always favored her eldest two.
"Does it always have to be my fault or something I did Mom?" I said softly looking straight into her eyes.
If someone was to come up with a theory that she wasn't my biological mother and they weren't my biological siblings I'd believe them without a second thought.
"Show some respect to your mother, Joana," Tony warned typing something on his phone. He was just like the rest.
"Does she ever respect me? It's like she has two children and I'm just a nobody in this house."
"Yes, that's what you are! You thought you were some princess? You disgust me. You resemble nothing Arnold worthy. You are a disgrace to our family," Becky spat at me venomously.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. Yes, I knew that was the case but they didn't have to rub it in my face. My eyes had already welled up tears threatening to spill.
"Why? What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve all this hatred from you?"
My eyes were filled to the brim with tears but it didn't faze them even one bit.
"Dad died because of you, Joana. It was purely your fault. I just wish it had been you who died in that accident not him. We will never forgive you for snatching away the best man from this planet," Tony spat at me.
If I had been close to him he'd have slapped me hard.
"How was I supposed to know we'd crash that day?" I defended myself.
"You were stubborn to go out, Joana. Your childish tantrums cost me my husband, Joana."
"But..."
"Has anyone ever told you how irritating your voice is? Your voice is so low and scratching. Maybe you should try and speak less because I'm sure no one would be interested in hearing your voice," Becky advised and walked out without waiting for my reply.
Mom and Tony followed suit banging the door.
I felt an inexplicable lump lodge in my throat. I fell into a disheveled heap on the floor and my tears involuntarily spilled down my cheeks.
I was bleeding inwardly. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was my fault but I'd never hurt my best friend and superman on this entire planet.
Victor Arnold was my everything. I remembered his death every day as if it were yesterday. Everything had happened so fast that I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye or try to save him.
He saved me but couldn't save himself. The guilt I felt was intense.
Before his death everything was perfect. We were the perfect family. I was a daddy's girl and everyone's favorite. I used to smile too, laugh, and be the life of the party.
His death was a wind of change. I lost everything that day. I lost my family, my inner self, hope itself, and my voice too.
I couldn't raise my voice anymore because when the car burst into flames I screamed so loud that I damaged myself. I didn't have the confidence to do so anyway.
Sometimes I wished I had died in his place. We couldn't live without each other. I was dying from the inside.
It had already been five years now and I still missed him every day.
I wiped away my tears and hugged my trembling knees reminiscing on all the memories.
If only I could turn back time.
Becky and Tony were twenty-six-year-olds, Lisa being a top model with beauty and brains. She had everything a lady needed. She was currently the top paid model in the state.
Tony had taken over the company. He was the new CEO. He was very popular, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. He was popular among ladies especially models of the same class and businesswomen.
Isabella Arnold, my mom, was a board member at the company and she ran a successful boutique in town. She was filthy rich and it was all purely from hard work. She had the typical Arnold looks and appeared younger than her age.
Then me. Joana Emily Arnold. Call me the black sheep. The unpopular one. At the age of twenty-five, I had nothing and sadly no one. I was educated but had to find myself a job. I never went out in public to avoid embarrassing my picture-perfect family.
I took a deep breath and got up. For five years I had been waiting for that light at the end of the tunnel. Where was it?
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In the dazzling world of wealth, Troy Williams, the playboy billionaire, discovers life's true meaning with Bella King. She's not the usual glamorous type, but she's got a rare gift – the ability to bring laughter even in tough times. For Troy, Bella is perfection, but there are shadows in their story. One, her looming fiancé; two, Bella's unwavering commitment to their friendship, despite her engagement. As she enigmatically puts it, "The line between a friend and a lover is not that thick." Bella's dedication to their connection, despite being engaged, adds suspense to their tale. Will destiny untangle their fates, or will the thin line between friendship and something more snap under the weight of unspoken desires? Join them in a story where love, friendship, and destiny collide in a captivating dance of passion and uncertainty.
Olivia Mason had everything perfectly in place for her summer vacation alongside her college boyfriend, Marcus. Her bags were meticulously packed, her passport was within reach, and her anticipation for a Hawaiian adventure was obvious. However, all her well-laid plans crumbled when Marcus abruptly ended their relationship just a day after their graduation. A heartbroken Olivia found herself unable to resist an invitation to spend the summer at her best friend Amelia's family beach house. Amelia, however, had one strict rule in place: absolutely no dating any of her brothers. Without hesitation, Olivia agreed to abide by the rule, as she had no intention of getting involved with another man anytime soon. That was until she crossed paths with Alex. Among Amelia's brothers, Alex had a reputation as a charming womanizer who could win over anyone. When his focus shifted towards Olivia, it ignited an unexpected and passionate connection between them. Caught up in a passionate affair filled with secret rendezvous and stolen kisses, Olivia found herself torn between two powerful emotions: the irresistible longing for Alex's touch and the fear of betraying her dearest friend. The question that lingers is, just how far will they be willing to go?
I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?" The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts. "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response. "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!" The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed. I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella. ************************************************************************************************************************ “I want to get a divorce, Mark,” I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time—even though I knew he'd heard me clearly. He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm very busy, don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!" The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him. "I will have the lawyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster. He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in and headed out of the house.
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Eight years ago, she thought he was a Money Boy at the club, and accidentally had a one-night stand with him because she was framed by her stepsister. Is $100 enough to buy a Money Boy for one night? The next morning, she casually dropped $100 and ran away. Eight years later, she returned with her genius son. Little did she expect to be "deceived" into the Noblefull Group by her beloved son. Her immediate boss turned out to be Mr. $100 from eight years ago! ... "Bad girl, how dare you humiliate me eight years ago, this time you will pay the price!" "Bad girl, one billion dollars, I buy your whole life!" "I just want to be a secretary. You already have several lovers. You are not my type." "But, I only have feelings for you, only love you." However, their relationship was not smooth. Due to a property dispute, his brother deliberately caused a car accident in an attempt to kill her and their son. Due to past grievances of the previous generation, his father held deep hatred towards him and sent assassins to kill them. There were also plots and attempts on their lives orchestrated by his girlfriend. On top of that, they faced oppression from rival factions of the mafia... This is a romantic novel about a billionaire and his secretary, involving several generations of love, hatred, and complicated relationships, and also involving the mafia, revenge...
Benjamin Dylon, a mysterious billionaire abandoned at the altar Antonela Bianchi whose name she only knows. Suffering the greatest love humiliation, she goes to a bar and meets a handsome man and gives herself completely to him. When she wakes up the next day in a hotel bed, she realizes that she has committed madness. A few days later, Antonela discovers that she is pregnant and to make matters worse, she finally meets Benjamin, discovering that the man who abandoned her at the altar is the same man she met in the bar. Pregnant and alone, rejected by her own family, Antonela has no choice but to leave so that she can have that child in peace. Three years later, when her mother suddenly passes away, Antonela is forced to return to the city and meet Benjamin again. He is now her sister's fiancé, and Antonela must hide the fact that he is the father of her child.
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Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...