"I'm beautiful, I'm wanted", she whispers through her tears, countering her father's words in her head. "You're the reason why my life is the way it is, the reason for my suffering and poverty. You're a wicked child." Rojo's voice echoed again in her head like when one stands and shouts into a dark tunnel with sounds ricocheting off the tunnel walls."I'm the architect of my life and no one else's, my other names are solace and wealth. Not suffering" - she swiped angrily at her tears, - "or poverty. But solace and wealth and I am a beautiful child."
The day was just like any other day in the small sleepy town of Cadez.
Little birds chittered up in the trees, fluttering their little colored wings and fleeting from one tree to another.
These beautiful cedar trees lined up the driveway leading to the town's only high school.
The bricked walls were slightly faded with butchered paint markings left on them by mischievous college students.
As the boots of students hit the gravel, the crunching sounds could be heard all around mixed with student chatter.
It was the first day of school after a long summer break and everyone was excited to see their old friends and make new ones.
They moved in pairs and trios, pausing to greet and crack jokes before heading into the school's building; a spacious two-story building surrounded by low bungalows for practical classes and a greenhouse.
By the side of the greenhouse stood two students, a well-built muscular young man smartly dressed in an oxblood colored blazer and a pair of black pants and a girl with the same coloured blazer but a black pleated skirt.
The boy slung a carton-colored backpack on his left shoulder and on his wrist was a beautifully crafted black band that identified him as the captain of the college football team.
He rubbed the band absentmindedly while he nodded at some students who called out and waved at him as they entered the school building.
He was popular and well-liked both in school and in town for his brains in academics and sports ability.
He glanced at the girl some feet away from where he stood as she contemplated a yellow-petaled flower with a slender green stem. She had beautiful red hair that caught the lights in the sun as she bent her head slightly to look at a different part of the flower.
Rojo Alvarez could bet the twenty bucks in the left pocket of his black pants that she was a new student; she had that slightly bewildered look on her face. "You can touch them. They won't bite you know.
The flowers", says a chuckling Rojo. The girl, Sophia, started. She hadn't known that someone was watching her and when his voice had reached her, she had dropped the pink-colored notebook in her hand.
The last time she had looked around, she had been the only one on this side of the school. The air on this side of the school smelled nicer, no doubt tinged with the scents of the flowers growing in the greenhouse.
Some of the students were still crammed into the parking area while some were already in the halls.
Sophia took a deep breath to calm herself as she took in the boy in front of her.
He had dark curly hair, a lock of it just brushing his left eyebrow and he was much taller than she was. She put his age down at seventeen, the same age as she, which probably meant that they were in the same class.
Or would meet in the same class this morning, it was Sophia's first day at Cadez High. "Actually, I was looking at a cute little butterfly underneath one of the petals.
I didn't want to touch it because I didn't want it to fly before I was done admiring it", replies Sophia. She simultaneously reached for the book at the same as Rojo and their fingers brushed against each other.
Rojo cleared his throat and Sophia smiled, it was just like men to think they knew it all.
"Ah, I-I see. Well, what do you say we go inside and I can show you around for a bit before the classes start?
I noticed you first took a wrong turn when you came in earlier", says Rojo, determined to create a better impression of himself on the beautiful Sophia.
He couldn't let her get away with whatever thought she must have formed in her mind from correcting him earlier.
Call it pride or charisma but Rojo believed in doing things and doing them well.
It was surely what got him the shining scholar and athlete title he had both in his school and around their small town.
Sophia smiled again as she looked around warily as if she could disappear from his scrutiny by just looking around her.
She brushed down an invisible wrinkle on one side of her pleated skirt before focusing her eyes back on Rojo. "
In that case, then I think we should be on a first-name basis.
We should know each other's names for a start.
Mine is Sophia and I heard someone call out Rojo, is that you by any chance?
How do you spell it?" "R-O-J-O", says Rojo. He grinned widely showing perfectly capped white teeth and stretched his right hand out in a greeting.
He liked Sophia already.
She was direct as hell. Sophia brought out a slender left hand that Rojo took in his wider right and they shook hands.
From afar, it looked like both of them were calling a truce.
Rojo inclined his head to the right, in the general direction of the main school building, "Come on, let's head inside".
They walked side by side and joined a melee of other students who thronged into the school halls with their boots making squeaking sounds as they all went in under the sound of the bells that signified the start of classes.
Over the coming weeks, he and Sophia did everything together from going to classes to getting lunch together and heading back home after school.
They picked each other as partners for group projects and Sophia waited for Rojo sometimes after his football practices and afterwards, they'd stroll home together talking about anything and everything.
With each passing day, Rojo found himself falling deeper in love with her, wanting more than sneaky quick kisses with Sophia, never finding the time for a deeper physical connection. That is, until their school had conducted their annual awards and dancing night.
Rojo thought of that night as the night that changed the trajectory of the rest of his life.
Then, almost as if he had realized something, he smiled, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "It's a private restaurant and we can go there separately if you would prefer," he said, closing up the file. For a moment, I thought he might say more. Something daring, something to suggest that he did not only want to take me out to dinner. But he did not. Instead, he just nodded, his expression uncatchable, and turned back to the view outside the window again. It was then that I realized I had not said a word. And neither had I left. "Okay, you can take me out to dinner."
"MATE!" Marion screamed excitedly. "Oh my gosh, Jimmy is our mate!" I was excited; happy even that this was the grande present the moon goddess had in store for me. This out- of- a- fairytale concept that was about to turn my life around for good but--- "I Jimmy Flicher of the Night gazer pack hereby reject you, Anna Jenson as my mate" My dream, my hopes were all shattered in that moment there and then. The moment of shock only lasted for just a short while before I felt a great and unbearable. Clenching to my chest as I slowly fell to the ground, I watched as jimmy turned away from me without unfeeling, leaving me alone by the doorstep. I gasped as I struggled to make my way back to father but it was to no avail. I'd given up all will to struggle back to my feet and remain on the ground but a loud sound; like a Vaseline crashing to the ground behind me jolted me up. On getting to my feet and looking back, I saw father on the floor. Adding two and two together, I knew he must have seen Jimmy reject me and that had caused him to pass out. I'd immediately rushed over to his side, shaking him fervently, imagining the worst. "Father! Father, wake up!" But he didn't budge and with that, I was left with no choice than to call the ambulance which brings me to how I got to this hospital. Today was my birthday, the day Jimmy rejected me, the day father passed out from shock, the day I would never forget in my life.
Jax I called out quickly rushed over to him. Jax, are you okay?. I brushed his hair away from his face. His beautiful eyes were deep red and he was covered in sweat. A...Aurora.He called my name in a whisper " You're here?. He said, fear evident in his voice. Of course I am. What the hell happened to you? Did you get into a fight? Are you hurt?. I questioned. My blood boiled at the thought of someone hurting him. If there was then I would snap all bones out of the culprit’s body. He shook his head. It's none of those things. He grabbed my waist, burying his face in my stomach. Then what was it?.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
“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?”
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?