"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.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Isabella needs a huge sum of money for her aged grandmother's surgery. She has nowhere to go for help and she decides to seek help from her Billionaire boss, Jayden. Jayden doesn't believe in marriages and happily ever after but he needs a wife so his mother would stop pestering him when he eventually proves to her that marriage isn't for him by getting divorced after a year. Isabella comes to him for help at the right time; a contract is signed and there will be no strings attached. After a year, they will both go their separate ways. What will happen after a night of drunken passion between them? Will Isabella be able to endure his cruelty for just one year or leave before the stipulated time for their marriage to end? Will Jayden find Isabella or let her go with his seed growing inside her?
For seven years, Jillian pursued Bryan with unyielding passion, but he remained distant, his emotions tightly sealed. Disheartened, she left for overseas after graduating from college. Three years later, Jillian, now a successful attorney, sat provocatively on the lap of Bryan's competitor. She flashed Bryan a playful smile and taunted, "What's wrong, Bryan? Are you impotent?" Bryan's restraint shattered in an instant. In a swift motion, he scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. The next morning, as Bryan woke up, Jillian flashed a mischievous smile. "Let's keep things casual, okay?"
"Ms. Crawford, it’s time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home. You're the only heiress the Master's waiting for.” ~•~ For the sake of love, Amara accepted the arranged marriage with Tobias William Larsen. She did everything to gain her husband’s heart but when his old love returned, she realized that all her effort was all for naught. Tobias demanded a divorce on the night of their wedding anniversary, even at the price of threatening her. Heartbroken, she finally dropped all her illusions about him and returned home to be the heiress. The next time she met Tobias, they were no longer couples but opponents. "Mr. Larsen, should I remind you again? We've divorced." "Amara, that's the stupidest mistake I've ever made. Please come back to me."
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.
Sophia Drake braced herself for the worst when she was forced to move across the country in the middle of her junior year. Desperate to escape her shattered home as soon as she turns eighteen, her plans are disrupted by the enigmatic and captivating Ashford twins. Sophia can't fathom the intense attraction she feels for the twins and tries to avoid them at every turn. As she's thrust into an unfamiliar world, her past demons resurface, making her question her true identity. Will Sophia flee from her past's secrets, or will she embrace her destiny and take control of her future?