.....I stood in front of the big nursing school. Finally I'll be able to pursue something I really love without anyone giving me conditions or telling me what to do. And as for love...I've left all that behind. Love is not for me. It didn't exist with Liam, it won't exist with anyone else. There's only one person I love with all my heart and that's my son. However, there is one whose kindness was slowly seeping into my shielded heart. ****** Audrey is given out for marriage to her childhood crush but things don't exactly go the way that she expects. The married life only brings tears and pains and her heart-throb and crush only crushes her heart and her dreams. Through it all, Audrey remains strong for her and her son but just how long can she hold it more forces that will test her, will arise. Will Audrey be able to pull through or will she succumb to the cruel hands of fate? The one who has caused her immense pain returns and she finds her heart wavering, just what will Audrey do to save herself, her heart and her son? Find out in this thrilling book of self discovery, love and deception.
AUDREY'S POV
"This is for the good of our family, Audrey. You must never lose sight of your duty as my only daughter." My father said,
"And beside I know that you have a secret crush on Liam. This is finally your opportunity to be with him. Don't blow it." He says and leaves me to my raging thoughts.
I sighed after the door to my room closed.
Yes! I did have a crush on Liam but that was when I was so little. Mother wasn't alive to help me out of this situation. My eyes was stinging at this point and a lump seemed to erupt in my throat.
I felt very sad that my life would experience nothing fun because sadly I would be married off very early. I was just twenty-three for God's sake.
"It can't be so bad." I thought to myself, after I had fought back the tears that threatened to fall from my eyes earnestly.
I used this to make myself feel a lot better.
I slept that night thinking about how the next day would be. I could not understand why my father would so easily throw me off into a marriage I have never anticipated.
The next day, Liam came by. He was looking a lot better now. He had broad shoulders compared to the times when I had known him as a child.
He was scrawny and small but now he looked manly and very handsome. Butterflies flew around in my stomach when I saw him. His father came out of the limousine behind him.
My father had made me wait at the door to welcome them into the house. His father smoked when he saw me,
"Dear Audrey, you're now so grown. That's really wonderful. You'll make the most beautiful bride." His father says.
I smile in response.
Liam remained mute not showing any expression. I could not even see his eyes because of the black shades he had on.
"Your father?" He asks.
"Please follow me." I said to them,
We got to the front porch where father was waiting for his friend, Liam's father, Robert.
"I'm glad you chose to honor me with your visit." My father exclaims and engulfs his friend in a very tight manly hug.
A mini feast was held in front of our house on the front porch.
"It will be the best the city has ever seen, I will make sure of it." Robert, Liam's father says.
"I can't wait." My father chip in
"When do you want it to be held?" My father asks Liam.
Liam clears his throat and replies, "In the following week from now."
His voice sounded so sweet in my ears but I wasn't very happy that he had made that decision without me.
I cleared my throat to signal my presence which they all seemed to ignore. I was the one who they were marrying off for goodness' sake.
"I believe that I did not agree to that." I said with a smoke plastered on my face.
"Audrey!" My father called my name.
"No dad, he can't come to this decision without telling me about it. You all are planning a wedding I never agreed to in the first place at least give me this." I said to both of them.
Robert sighed and looked at my father who looked at me, "enough of this Audrey, you're getting married in one week."
My father said with a tone of finality. My heart sank.
"Father!!" I exclaimed but he said nothing.
I scoffed and angrily went inside.
Just breathe Audrey. It really can't be that bad.
My father opened my door and shut the door quietly behind him.
"Look Audrey, don't spoil my hard work alright." He said.
"I wish mom were here, she would never have agreed to this." I yelled
"Don't ever talk about your mother again. I won't talk about this again either. Come back downstairs. " He instructed.
My mouth gaped. How could he just tell me to do that?
I was rooted to that spot without moving because I was so scared and angry. I was feeling a lot at that point. My father then held my hands and pulled me towards where he was hosting his mini feast.
He plastered a smile on his face ,"I'm so sorry, she didn't mean to he disrespectful."
"It's fine. We can't stay for long anymore. We will send her all she needs to start getting ready for the wedding." Robert says.
My father stands up and stretches his hands out to Robert who took it in glee.
"We shall see once again. I can't wait for this perfect union." He says and then looks at me ,
"I know how you must feel but it's normal to feel that way . Please, take good care of yourself ." He said to me and then turned to leave.
Liam also stands but doesn't say a word as he follows suit behind his father.
Few days later, my father came up to meet me. He was holding a box in his hands. Ever since that mini feast, all he ever does is complain and tell me how I'm going to be a terrible wife.
He knocked and then peered his head through the open space.
"You're still awake." He said but I didn't reply.
Our relationship has been strained ever since.
He sat down beside me and placed the box in front of me.
"Look I know that this has been really hard for you but also consider how hard it is for the one who will be getting married to you." He started.
"Since you know then why are you subjecting me to this father?" I asked him frankly
"It's for the good of our family and I wish I didn't have to but I believe that you will be in good hands ." He said.
"And how can you be so sure about that?" I asked him.
He smiled, "Robert promised me."
"I'm not getting married to Robert, father, I'm getting married to his son ." I had to remind him .
He sighed, "there's nothing else we can do. Just prepare for the wedding tomorrow."
He said and dropped the box in front of me.
A wedding or a funeral, I wouldn't know what kind of marriage im getting into until I've had a taste of it.
"...Even after everything I do to you, you still want me?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "More than you can imagine," I replied, breathless. His hand slid up my body, pausing at the back of my neck. He pulled me closer, his voice a low growl. "You do know what that means, right?" I stiffened, my heart racing. I was his pet, after all. And I was ready to take my chances. *. *. *. *. *. *. * Rose Carlton's life is a shattered puzzle. After a devastating accident robbed her of half her memories, she thought nothing could feel more incomplete-until she's sold to Grey Manchester Moretti, the city's most feared mafia boss. What begins as captivity quickly spirals into something far more dangerous. As Rose navigates Grey's dark, violent world, secrets from her forgotten past resurface, threatening to unravel everything she thought she knew. Blood will be spilled, boundaries will be crossed, and passion will ignite in ways she never imagined. But when she learns the truth about her life-and her connection to Grey-Rose will face an impossible choice: surrender to the man who holds her heart or fight for the freedom she's never truly had. Can Rose survive the chaos of her tumultuous life, or will she surrender to the darkness?
Drugged and deceived, she bore a child amidst tragedy-her son, falsely declared dead at birth. Fueled by the agony, she disappeared, only to return years later with both her daughter and an adopted son, driven by an unyielding desire for revenge against those who had wronged her and her late mother. The plot takes an unexpected twist when the haunting truth surfaces: her son is alive, and his father is a powerful CEO.
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."
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.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
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.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.