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"You could've been seriously hurt," he murmured, his voice low, but there was a sharpness to it. His proximity, the way he towered over me, made the air between us crackle. "I'm fine," I snapped, refusing to show weakness. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. But he wasn't listening. His hand came up, his thumb brushing the corner of my jaw, sending an unexpected thrill through my body. "Next time, you'll listen to me." His touch lingered for just a moment too long before he pulled back, leaving me breathless and utterly confused. I could feel the heat of his skin, the tension rolling off him in waves. Hate. That's what I should feel. That's what I wanted to feel. But as his dark eyes bore into mine, it was something else entirely. And I hated myself for it.
Claire's POV:
The house was way too quiet. The kind of quiet that felt loud in my ears, buzzing under my skin like a warning. Dad was home. And he was drunk again.
I tiptoed down the hallway, knowing the exact spots to avoid so the floor wouldn't creak. I'd learned that over the years-the art of moving silently in my own house. The clock on the wall said I was already late for work, but who cared? I had bigger problems.
I spotted the empty bottle first. Lying on its side, like a clue that something had gone wrong. My stomach twisted as my eyes landed on the shattered glass next to it. Great. Another mess, another reminder of last night's chaos.
I bent down to pick up the larger shards, careful not to cut myself. Cleaning up after him had become part of my morning routine-like brushing my teeth or grabbing my backpack. Except, instead of toothpaste, I got broken glass and spilled beer.
My hands shook as I grabbed the broom. Each swipe of the bristles on the floor echoed in the silence, making the house feel even emptier. I hated this. The constant fear. The pretending. How I had to make sure no one knew the truth because people wouldn't get it. They'd never understand.
I could still remember when he wasn't like this-back when I was younger and he actually smiled. But those days felt like a different lifetime. Now it was just me and him, the drunk version, who never smiled, never laughed. Just yelled, broke things, and passed out.
A groan from down the hall made my heart leap to my throat. Crap. He was awake.
I glanced at the clock again. I still had time. If I moved fast enough, I could get out before-
"Claire."
Too late. I froze, the door handle cool in my grip. My pulse thudded in my ears, drowning out everything else. His voice was rough, the kind of rough that came from too many late nights and too many beers. I didn't turn around, hoping if I stayed still long enough, he'd just let me go.
"I love you, you know that, right?" His words were slurred, barely coherent.
I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the wave of emotions threatening to drown me. He always said this-only after a few too many beers, when he could barely stand. Like the words meant something when he was this far gone.
I should say something. I should turn around, face him, and tell him how much I needed him to actually mean it. Sober. But what was the point? We'd been through this too many times, and I was too tired to fight today.
My hand tightened on the door handle as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I muttered, not even sure if he could hear me.
For a second, I wondered if I should do more. Maybe say goodbye properly or look him in the eye and make sure he knew how much it hurt to hear those words like that. But then I remembered the last time I tried to talk to him-really talk to him. The black eye I had for a week. The silence that stretched on after, like the distance between us could never be fixed.
I couldn't do it again. Not today.
Before I left, I opened my purse and fished out a few crumpled bills. The same ones I'd been setting aside for groceries. I hesitated for a moment, staring at them in my hand, knowing full well what they'd be used for. There was no food in the house, but the money wouldn't go toward that. It never did.
I placed the bills next to the empty cereal box on the counter, a bitter taste rising in my throat. It felt like I was enabling him, feeding the cycle, but what choice did I have? He'd find a way to get his beer, with or without my help. At least this way, I wouldn't come home to more broken glass or worse.
I nodded, once, even though he couldn't see me. Then I stepped outside, letting the cool morning air wash over me. One more day, one more step away from the mess I couldn't clean up anymore.
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?
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
It's true what they say about marriage: one partner's always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie's long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.