James struggled to sit up, his body throbbing with pain. How much more of this can I take? Everywhere I turn, it's nothing but mockery and betrayal. For years, I've been nothing but a pawn in someone else's game. His mind drifted to his sister in the hospital, clinging to life because he couldn't afford better care. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am worthless.
James clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the floor. "You took every penny," he whispered, his voice laced with barely restrained anger. "That money was for my sister's medical bills, Helen."
Helen Shaw scoffed, folding her arms with a look of complete disdain. "That money was wasted on a useless fool like you. My son deserves a proper wedding, and you don't deserve to be part of this family. You're pathetic."
James swallowed hard, his mind spinning with the weight of her words. For three years, I've tried to make this work, to be what they expect, but no matter what I do, it's never enough. He fought the urge to retaliate, knowing it would only worsen things.
Pamela stood silently behind her mother, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Mom... maybe he just... Maybe James needs a break."
"Pamela, don't defend him," Helen snapped, her voice icy. "He's failed you. Failed everyone. I've told him a hundred times to leave you. He's nothing but a leech."
James felt his chest tighten as he glanced at his wife. "Pamela, do you think that too?" he asked, almost pleading.
She looked away, saying nothing, and in that silence, James heard his answer.
"See?" Helen laughed, nudging Pamela. "Even your own wife can't defend you. Why don't you just give up already? Divorce her, leave, and stop embarrassing us."
Defeated, James turned to George Shaw, who had been observing in stony silence. "George... surely, you understand. My sister's hurt-she needs help."
George's indifferent gaze remained unchanged. "If you can't handle your family's problems, you shouldn't be part of ours."
A mix of anger and helplessness welled up within him, but he forced it down. Why am I even trying to reason with them? To them, I'm just a means to clear their debts-a tool they're done with. He turned on his heel and left the house, his heart heavy with bitterness.
Later, at the construction site, James approached his foreman, Ray Walters, who was chatting and laughing with a few other workers. As James cleared his throat, Ray gave him a sneer.
"Ah, look who it is-the husband of the mighty Shaw family princess," Ray mocked, crossing his arms. "What do you want, Carter?"
"I'm here for my wages, Ray. You've been holding them back for weeks now," James said, trying to keep his tone steady.
Ray chuckled. "Your wages, huh? You've been slacking lately, Carter. Hardly worth what I've been paying."
James's patience was running thin. "I've worked every hour you asked for. You owe me."
Ray's eyes narrowed, and he leaned in with a sneer. "Maybe you should put that wife of yours to good use, huh? Wouldn't take long to make what you're begging for here."
A surge of fury coursed through James, and before he could think, he grabbed Ray by the collar. "Don't you dare bring her into this," he growled.
In a heartbeat, Ray shoved him back, and within moments, the other workers piled on. James felt punches, kicks, and the impact of the ground as he was beaten down, his pride crushed alongside his body. When they finally left him lying there, Ray spat on the ground near him. "Next time, know your place."
James struggled to sit up, his body throbbing with pain. How much more of this can I take? Everywhere I turn, it's nothing but mockery and betrayal. For years, I've been nothing but a pawn in someone else's game. His mind drifted to his sister in the hospital, clinging to life because he couldn't afford better care.
Maybe they're right. Maybe I am worthless.
The thought lingered, growing heavier as he considered his options. His savings had been drained, his family held him in contempt, and he'd been stripped of every shred of dignity. For a brief moment, an unsettling thought crossed his mind-a way to end it all and leave something behind for his sister.
Hours later, as the sun began to set, James found himself wandering back to the construction site. The steel beams towered above him, stark and cold against the darkening sky. He stood on the edge, peering over, his heart racing.
If this is the only way to provide for her... he thought, swallowing hard.
But just as he steadied himself, the rumble of a car engine pulled him back to reality. A sleek black Rolls-Royce rolled to a stop nearby, and a sharply dressed man stepped out, looking straight at him.
"Mr. Carter?" the man addressed him with a slight bow.
James blinked in confusion, stepping away from the edge. "Who... Who are you?"
The man smiled, his demeanor calm but commanding. "I'm here on behalf of your father, David Smith. There's something I believe you should know."
James stared at the man, a sense of disbelief washing over him. My father? But he... His heart thudded with a mix of hope and apprehension as he stepped forward.
"Please," the man continued, gesturing to the car. "I think it's time you learned the truth."
We've been married for three years, but I've never truly had his love. When his childhood sweetheart returned, just as promised, all I was met with were the cold, glaring divorce papers. "If I were carrying our child, would you still choose to divorce?" I asked, holding onto the faintest glimmer of hope, making one last desperate plea. His response, as expected, was just as cold as ever. "Yes." I closed my eyes, choking back tears, and finally chose to let go-to honor his decision. Years later, my heart had turned to ash. Lying in a hospital bed, I trembled as I signed the divorce papers. "Alexander, from this moment on, we owe each other nothing..." What I never saw coming was the ruthless, decisive CEO kneeling at my bedside, his voice hoarse, almost broken, as he pleaded, "Vivienne, don't divorce me... please."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
“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?”
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."