Samantha McCartney is turned into the laughing stock of her family when her childhood crush and soon-to-be husband a wedding ring on her younger sister's instead of her on their wedding day. Devastated and heartbroken, Samantha gets drunk and ends up having a one-night stand with someone she had only seen on TV and more; happened to be the estranged stepbrother of her childhood crush.
Some sacrifices have to be made for the family, no matter the cost.
Annabelle sat on a chair, her hands placed on her lap. She did not utter a word-she just stared at the people around her, taking in the words, making sense of them, and understanding her fate. Even if she had not been consulted in the beginning when the decision was made, she could not bring herself to disagree now. If there was one thing her mother taught her while growing up, it was the importance of making sacrifices.
She looked back at the TV screen, the images and captions blurring-merging into one. It wasn't as if she was not paying attention, but the image on the screen, the man whose picture made the headlines that evening, was more than just a face to her now. He was going to be her reality.
"Annabelle?" her mother's voice jolted her from her reverie. Not that she had been deep in thoughts anyway.
"Yeah?" she answered.
"You have said nothing the entire time. We don't want to force you to do something you are not comfortable with. It is just that... this is the only option we have. You are the only hope we have at this point," her mother said.
Annabelle knew her mother was telling the truth. She knew that if there was any other way, she would have taken it, no matter the risk. But they were standing at the edge of the precipice, and she was their only solution.
"Ma, I said I'd do it and I meant it. You aren't forcing me to do anything. I know just how much the company means to you and Pa. If it takes me settling down now, I would do it over and over again in a heartbeat. Besides," she stared at the TV for a couple of seconds and turned to look at her parents, "he sounds like a good man. The news, articles and magazines cannot possibly be wrong. Can they?"
Her mother hesitated for a minute or two before shaking her head.
"I doubt they are wrong. He is a decent man."
Annabelle smiled. "Then why do you have such gloomy look on your faces? You should be happy, right?" she looked at her father.
"We are happy. Extremely so. Thank you," her father responded.
"Alright then. I think I'll go get some rest. "
Annabelle let the tears pour down from her face when she was well away from the living room. Placing her palm over her mouth to stifle the gasp, she dragged her legs heavy with sadness to her room.
She wasn't happy-that was clear. The truth was, she was dreading her future. She was dreading having to marry a man who, up till yesterday, was just another face on the news, another headline in articles and another eligible bachelor on gossip magazines.
Talon Jameson. She said the name over and over again, rolling it around her tongue. Annabelle Jameson-maybe it would do the trick. Maybe she would fall in love with his last name that the thought of getting married to him would not feel so bad.
She tried it again and gave up. It wasn't like it was going to work anyway. But she could not reject it, not when she knew that he was the key to keeping her family off the streets. Her father had told in her in no certain terms yesterday, 'we are neck deep in debt and if we do not pay by month's end, they will take this house and the company. We will be left with nothing. Thankfully, I have a solution.
Although she had not known at that point that the solution was her, she had made up her mind that whatever help her Pa needed, she would offer. Which was why, when they sat her down today and he said, 'Mr. Jameson has offered to give us the money that we need, but only on one condition. That you marry his son,' she said yes without even thinking twice.
According to her father and the magazines, Talon Jameson was said to be the heir of a billionaire conglomerate. But his father, in his will, specified that the only way Talon would ever take over the empire was if he was married. The old man also added a clause that his son was to get married before the month was over or his assets would be liquidated and given to charity. The blogs, magazines, and other platforms had created their own theories about who he would marry. They even created a list of the most eligible women in his age group, calling on him to pick from them.
Just last week, Annabelle had the same conversation with her friend, Jess, who had been nursing a crush on Talon Jameson for years. Even though Annabelle wasn't interested, Jess had proceeded to talk her ears off, citing her own list and giving reasons why she thought each woman was perfect. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that a conversation she didn't even have the least bit of interest in would become the center of her life.
How did she not see that her father was going through a severe financial crisis? Maybe she could have helped; she could have done something to avert what was about to happen. She sighed. It wasn't like she had a degree in finance anyway. She was more attuned to art and creativity, unlike her father, who preferred cooking books and numbers.
Some sacrifices had to be made for family, no matter the cost.
She was ten when her mother first spoke those words to her and eleven years later, she was having to live them.
Her phone rang and she picked it up. It was her best friend, Jess.
"Hey," she said.
"You will not believe this!" Jess's voice was high with excitement. "I just saw in the new 'Real Men' magazine that Talon has chosen his fiancée! I bet it's one of the women on my list."
You might have to let go of that bet.
Annabelle took a deep breath. "You are not gonna believe this. Not in a thousand years."
"I may not know what you want or what you like or whatnot but you have shown me that you want out of this marriage and that's one thing that I know I'm going to help you with it" Callum replied and Athaliah smiled mirthlessly. "That is what you want. That's what you've always wanted. You are the one who went to work on our wedding night without saying a word to me. You are the one who leaves the house before I wake up and come back when I'm asleep. You are the one who treats me like a plague, someone you can't stand for a long time, and you've done that for two years Callum and now you dare to stand in front of me and tell me I showed you I wanted out of this marriage" Athaliah said shaking her head. "How dare you?" she shot at him. **************************** Bound by a marriage forged in the crucible of misunderstanding, Athaliah and Callum found themselves tethered to a union neither of them wanted. Athaliah' compelled by familial duty and Callum, driven by his grandfather's desire. The union was doomed to crumble and fail. Within a mere two years, after his grandfather's death, the ties that bond them together snapped, and with two signatures, their paths were set separate and different from each other. Fate, that fickle mistress, intervened years later, bringing them back to each other's orbit igniting the spark and electric connection anew and the both of them dared to grasp at the second chance fate had offered. But then again, history began to repeat itself, patterns began to replay, and Athaliah and Callum are faced with their shared past, forced to confront the ghosts of their past. With new revelations and unfolding layers of complexity, the fabric of their relationship was stretching thin, and Athaliah's perception is shattered after unearthing a scared truth.
"What if I don't fall in love with you?" she asked apprehensively. Instead, his lips curved into a small smile that messed with her chest. "You will" he replied confidently and she knew at that moment that she already had. --------------------------------------------- A loveless marriage. Her parents' mysterious death. Dangerous secrets. Zaria Williams would do anything to find out who caused her parents' death and why. Taking over their company and ending her loveless marriage after disappearing for one year was the first step. With her two brothers as the last of her family, Zaria is further pulled into a web of dangerous secrets and dangerous territories even without having any idea of it. And there was only one reason, he protected her without question, without a word, without she even having an idea of it.
THE MONTELLE FAMILY SERIES (BOOK ONE) âJulian?â the latter called out in shock and surprise as Julian sucked in a breadth and turned to face the latter maintaining his flat expression. âWhen did you come back?â the latter asked again. The question instantly made a plethora of memories wash over Julian. He discovered he could remember everything that happened that day clearly as if it had happened the previous day. He remembered every word and everything that had happened and they seemed to suck the air of his lungs and as his legs almost turned to powder. His trust was broken and his so called loved ones betrayed him. Not even one of them remained; they had all taken his side and left him stranded and all alone. With his father's threat of giving his company to charity if he didnât come home; Julian Montelle is forced to abandon the life he had built for himself in Hong Kong. Coming back to the place that held the worst and horrid memories for him wasnât an option but for some unknown reason. Julian found himself getting on a plane and getting back to take back his rightful heritage and property. This time around, he came back to take revenge on everyone who had something to do with what happened back then and who had abandoned him. And as well this time around, he wasn't alone and had someone who stood beside him without any questions.
When Gianna Emerson best friend gets dumped by her boyfriend; Gianna is determined to make him go through the same pain and hurt he made her best friend go through. Get close to him, make him fall in love with her and then mercilessly dump him. It was the most perfect and flawless plan except that it didnât involve Gianna falling helplessly in love with him. Whatâs more, her Favourite rule of friend is âthough shall not fall in love with your friendâs exâ
Since when they were little, Gabriella Armani had developed a huge crush on her elder brotherâs best friend but the latter had never given her attention or even treated her like her a girl, he had always treated her like a younger sister; much to Gabriellaâs annoyance. After severally promising to marry him when she grew up, she left the country or her studies. Never in his life did Kiley imagine that a point in his life, he would start to see Gabriella Armani as woman and not as the younger sister who followed him everywhere.
Despite being an easy target for bullies; Tessa OâBailey never got bullied. The bullies werenât scared of her but they never touched her either. And Tessa had no idea why but she was glad, at least she could now do whatever she wanted but when she somehow got into detention with the schoolâs bad boy, it didnât take long for her to realize why.
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!"
Lucien Gray, the young and powerful head of an international consortium, has always had everything within his reach-wealth, influence, and any woman he desires. But when the unassuming Nina Morrison crosses his path, something unexpected happens. She doesn't fall at his feet, nor does she seem impressed by his status. Her indifference sparks an irresistible challenge in Lucien-a desire to conquer her at all costs. Determined to make Nina his, Lucien's pursuit becomes relentless. But Nina's fiery spirit and refusal to be controlled push Lucien to his limits. With every struggle and defiance, the tension between them grows, threatening to shatter the boundaries Lucien has always maintained. Now Lucien vows to claim her as his own. Will Lucien's obsession break Nina's spirit, or will she force him to confront his deepest vulnerabilities? In a game of power and desire, who will win-and at what cost?
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
"Carroll Brown is dead! But you have to marry him in your sister's name." My mother said to me in a cold tone. My sister was engaged to the hottest billionaire. It should have been a perfect marriage. Unexpectedly, Carroll was dead in an accident. My sister didn't want to become a widow, so she forced me to marry her dead fiance. And I had no right to refuse her. Actually, I was the biological daughter of the Smith family. My sister was an adoptive one. My sister and I had been swapped at the hospital when we were just born. My parents had already had a deep relationship with her. So they chose to sacrifice me. On the wedding day, I was taken to the mourning hall. "Ma'am, please keep Master company and let him feel warm." The housekeeper said with a cold expression. I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat at this glance. The man in the portrait was more handsome than the superstars in Hollywood. Carroll Brown? My dead husband? Wow, he was really handsome! I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel. After one glance at the coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed. "Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?" "I do." "Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!" Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?"
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true originsâa lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. âIt's time to reveal your true identity, darling.â