Helena Ballard attended the wedding. She was drunk and then she slept with the groomsman! After a one-night stand, she got pregnant. She wanted to give birth to the child, but that man disagreed. In desperation, Helena was about to leave with the baby in her belly, but she was caught! She was blocked in the corner by the man. "If you want to give birth to the child, marry me. Two years later, we'll divorce. During the two years of time, you're not allowed to touch me, not even hold my hands." However, no one expected that after they married, Bryce Huffman, the eldest young master of the Huffman family, fell in love with Helena crazily. The whole world was waiting for Helena to be abandoned by the Huffman family. Unexpectedly, Helena was spoiled by Bryce! Bryce said with affection, "It is my duty to spoil my wife."
Strike of eleven:
"Try as you might, chipmunk, even your birthday suit wouldn't qualify as sexy for the party," Ethan chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Isn't your candor just a breath of fresh air?" I shot back, a sharp glare aimed his way. "Remember, honesty is not always the best policy."
He shoved his camera under my nose, distracting me with a taunting grin. "So, are you going to fritter away the night picking out a dress that won't turn heads, or embrace your inner glutton?" He was still smirking, the rascal.
The picture on his camera showed a delectable roast chicken, provocatively nestled among an array of buffet dishes. It was a no-brainer. "All hail the goddess of hunger!" I yelped, snatched the first pink frock that caught my eye, and dashed for the bathroom. Ethan's echoing laughter trailed me.
Hey there, I'm Esther Taylor. The wisecracking fellow you've just met is Ethan, my best mate. I can almost hear you groaning, "Esther and Ethan? Seriously?" Yes, folks, welcome to my world of unimaginative monikers. Born on the same day in the same hospital, our parents became fast friends, thought it'd be a riot to give us rhyming names.
The sweet part? Ethan despises our paired names more than I do, making it a prime source of my amusement. Whenever he tries to charm a girl, I latch onto him and flash a warm smile at her. "You've met Ethan? Hi, I'm Esther, his name twin." His future partner will no doubt appreciate my teasing.
Anyway, back to the day's agenda: Ethan's brother Dennis's 16th birthday bash. Dennis's the hotshot future alpha of our 'Bluewood' pack, and the spotlight of the evening, of course, was his prospective mate. Once Dennis finds her, they'll begin their decade-long training to become the next power duo of our pack. Dennis's intent on being a doctor - a noble ambition his dad, Alpha Blake Wood, wholeheartedly supports.
Do I sense some whiff of envy from you? Well, you're right. Ethan and I are somewhat green-eyed about his royal highness Dennis's smarts and obedience. Ethan, however, pulls the short straw here, having to share a roof with Dennis - who we are convinced was a British aristocrat in a past life.
Bearing platters piled high with chicken, we headed straight for the lawn and found cozy spots, ready to savor the food and the unfolding drama. Dennis and his dad were busy schmoozing with the pack's movers and shakers - a rather yawn-inducing spectacle. Our attention veered towards the 16-and-above 'Luna hopefuls', dressed to the nines. I glanced down at my simple attire and sighed. "Wish I were sixteen."
"So, you could be Dennis's mate?" Ethan sniggered.
"Hilarious," I retorted, fixing him with a glare. "I just want the chance to look stunning in a dress."
Ethan flashed a grin. "You'll outshine them all someday."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. Just slow down on the feasting," he advised, his own mouth full of food, "and stop treating me like a brother."
I shook my head, defiant. "No can do."
"You know, I once asked Dennis what he wanted in a mate. 'Elegant, graceful, kind, someone who will serve our pack alongside me,' he'd said. He even mentioned that he'd like her to be a doctor. For some reason, I thought of you," Ethan turned towards me, a serious look on his face.
"Me?" I gasped, wide-eyed.
"Yes," he affirmed, then quickly added, "But the exact opposite of you," winking at me.
I shot him a glare. "Oh, we'll see. Mr. Uptight won't know what hit him when his 'elegant' mate shows up."
Speaking of Dennis, I wondered if he'd found his mate yet. With him, it's hard to say. He could be grinning like a Cheshire cat or frowning like a bulldog - his expression would remain the same. I often wondered if a book could be one's mate. If so, Dennis would be betrothed to his precious hardcovers.
When he caught me staring, I quickly shifted my gaze to Ethan, waiting until Dennis was distracted.
"Ye gods!" I exhaled, hand on my heart. "That was nerve-wracking."
"What's up?" Ethan asked, looking up from his food.
"Can future Alphas read minds?" I blurted.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "We all have mind links, Esther."
"Not that. I was mentally cursing Dennis, and he glared at me. Think he'll hold that against me when he becomes Alpha?"
Ethan chuckled. "You're always so spooked by him. He never harmed you."
"I've never seen him smile. It's unsettling," I confessed.
"He does smile, just not often. Maybe he doesn't like you," Ethan teased. "Might be your looks."
"Do you think he'll pick on me when he's Alpha?"
"Nah, Dennis's got a big heart. He won't bother you, no matter how unattractive he finds you."
"One of these days, Ethan..."
The party wound down around midnight, Dennis retreating to the pack house with a somber expression.
Guess something marred Mr. Perfect's perfect day?
"Seems he didn't find his mate," Ethan mused.
I grinned, "But we found the heavenly chicken!"
"Hell yeah!"
Half a decade later:
"Could the two of you potentially become mates?" Daisy, the docile and demure daughter of the beta, asked. She was easily the gentlest and most introverted werewolf you could ever encounter.
The night before our 16th birthdays, we all huddled by the lakeside. Ethan, Tyler, Bruce, Aylin, Daisy, and me, we formed an official group when we all experienced our first shift around the same age two years prior. This was a gathering to commemorate our last day of youthful recklessness.
"B.O.R.I.N.G" we chorused, exchanging knowing grins.
"But wouldn't that be incredibly romantic?" Aylin debated. She had a knack for daydreaming about love. "It would be as if the Moon Goddess blessed your union by ensuring that you were always together."
Everyone gave her 'the' look.
"So, what will you do if it happens?" Bruce echoed Daisy's question. They seemed determined to get an answer.
"I'd be dead meat," Ethan grumbled, irritation creeping into his expression. His mood had been swinging wildly in anticipation of his 'mate day' for a few weeks now, which was getting on all our nerves.
"That's right, I'd skin him alive if he turns out to be my mate," I retorted, feigning a growl. "Have you seen the number of girls who have clung to him this past year?"
Puberty had been kind to Ethan. His impressive height and twinkling green eyes naturally drew attention, so the sight of Ethan with a new girl every few days had become quite commonplace.
"We need fresh faces in our lives," Ethan replied, winking at me.
"Someone we can gradually discover. Someone unaware of how clumsy I am so I can act graceful," I pointed at myself, "or how much he's scared of horror movies so he can act brave," I pointed at Ethan.
"Enough said," Ethan interjected.
"Why is the party at Esther's and not yours?" Bruce asked Ethan.
"You are mine." This was what Cindy Lynd said the most to the supercilious and mighty man. Although she was an orphan, a child that no one wanted, she was very lucky to have married the elegant and noble man at the top of the pyramid. She thought that he was her Mr. Right, but when she was pregnant with his child, his Princess Charming appeared. He pushed her away several times for his Princess Charming. After Cindy was hurt again and again, she decided to sign the divorce agreement and leave. Everyone knew that during Cindy's disappearance, Fletcher Lynd had gone crazy and searched for her around the world.
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.