"Since you left me, everything I've done has been a means to one end-to be near you again." Joelle was eighteen when she dumped Callum. Everyone thought it was due to his poverty, including Callum himself. Three years later, Joelle's family met its downfall, while Callum rose to prominence. When they met again, he was her sister's boyfriend. Joelle's family showered Callum with adulation, while others ridiculed her for failing to appreciate him and letting her sister get the catch instead. No one knew of the fiery nights of passion Joelle and Callum shared behind closed doors.
"Ah!"
After smashing the door open, the maid couldn't resist exclaiming in shock at the scene before her.
Joelle Bennett's eyelashes fluttered as she saw the man and woman, without clothes, all tangled up. Quite a view, indeed.
However, Joelle might have found the scene amusing if the man wasn't her so-called boyfriend and the woman wasn't her half-sister.
"What are you looking at? Clear everyone out of here now!" Verena Bennett, Joelle's stepmother, yelled in a frenzy.
The maids snapped out of their daze, quickly shut the door, ushered the guests away, and stopped any newcomers from heading upstairs.
The meticulously arranged birthday party suddenly turned into a mess.
Joelle felt her eyelashes flutter once more.
At that moment, Verena's gaze shifted fiercely to her stepdaughter, Joelle.
Her eyes were brimming with intense loathing.
Just as Joelle was about to talk, Verena hurried over and delivered a sharp slap out of nowhere.
The slap caught Joelle by surprise. Thankfully, a nearby servant caught her just in time, preventing her from tumbling flat onto the floor amidst the crowd!
As guests glanced back at the commotion, whispers began to spread.
"You despicable woman!" Verena hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "You brought Jaxon here, so don't pretend you're innocent! I sensed something off when my daughter announced she was about to get engaged, and you suddenly showed up with a boyfriend. Clearly, you planned to humiliate us intentionally!"
A red mark stood out on Joelle's perfect skin, throbbing painfully. She calmly caressed her cheek, easing the sting.
With a flirtatious twinkle in her eyes, she smiled and said, "Verena, hold up! Why rush to violence before we sort things out? Could it be that you're scared it'll come out that your daughter lured my boyfriend, so you're trying to shift the blame onto me?"
Joelle could tell what Verena was up to, causing Verena's facial expression to twist.
Verena glared at Joelle and declared, "I know what you're up to, Joelle! You want to ruin Emmeline's engagement because you're after Callum! You always chase after the wealthy and ignore the less fortunate. But now, with Callum's heart set on Emmeline, he won't give you a second look, no matter your schemes!"
Verena's statements were fierce, portraying her as a mother fiercely defending her daughter's romantic relationship.
Amid the gathering, Joelle stood with poise and elegance, drawing many doubtful looks her way. Rumors about her had spread far and wide.
Joelle's long eyelashes slightly fluttered again. A sting of emotion hit her every time Verena mentioned Callum.
Callum Sullivan...
That name now carried weight, representing a flourishing power in the business realm and a key player in several new sectors.
The old guard of wealth was keen to align with him, hoping to capitalize on this new trend.
Rumors circulated that he had been at the pinnacle of global wealth for three years since his business inception, acquiring a fortune beyond measure.
Once Callum became really famous, everyone dug deep into his past. There weren't many stories of love from his past, just one from his high school days. He was poor back then and had fallen for a rich girl. But she, with a penchant for affluence, scorned his modest origins and left him.
This girl, who once chased wealth and disdained the less fortunate, was Joelle herself. She had lost her status as the distinguished Miss Bennett and now was in a starkly different situation.
Life's twists and turns are unpredictable, showcasing how fortunes can flip unexpectedly.
Now, she wasn't the popular Miss Bennett from a rich family anymore, and he had become someone everyone wanted to be around.
Three years had passed since Joelle last encountered Callum, and then, her half-sister Emmeline Bennett had introduced him as her boyfriend to the Bennett family.
Her surprise at that moment was as big as seeing Jaxon and Emmeline sleeping together today.
Jaxon Lloyd wasn't even her boyfriend. He was just someone she had brought along for support.
Her ex-boyfriend was about to marry her half-sister, making her look pathetic. But who would've thought something like this would happen now?
Joelle avoided bringing up Callum since their relationship had ended a while ago. Instead, she said, "Hold on, Verena. Let's discuss this once these two wake up from their drunken sleep. All I know is I'm innocent."
Her look was calm and honest.
Yet Verena remained unconvinced, her eyes brimming with hatred as she accused, "You're lying! You and Jaxon must have plotted to intoxicate my daughter! You brought him here!"
Joelle's gaze sharpened.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."