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When Owen Wraxall returns to Los Angeles, his focus is on finding his long-lost twin, but fate introduces him to Ophelia Loxley, a young woman desperate to reclaim her family's former status. Their whirlwind romance culminates in a marriage meant to heal old wounds, but instead, it opens new ones. As betrayal poisons their union, Owen and Ophelia become entangled in a dangerous web of lies, manipulation, and power struggles. In a city where wealth hides corruption and love teeters on the edge of destruction, Ophelia must confront her past while Owen wrestles with the demons driving his cruelty. When buried secrets resurface and the shadows of their choices threaten to consume them, both must ask: Is redemption possible, or is the cost of truth too steep to bear? In When Love Turned Sour, love isn't the savior-it's the battlefield.
==OPHELIA==
My thumb hesitated above the 'Record' button on my phone, while my fingers shook, unwilling to calm down. I saw a reflection on the screen of a face that looked pale, hollow, and nearly unrecognizable. When did I turn into this unfamiliar person? The faint silhouette of a person I once recognised, now obscured and smudged by suffering.
A part of me desired to halt, to cast the phone away, and simply bring everything to an end. However, the words in my throat fought to be let out. I struggled to even murmur, "Owen, my husband..." Feeling his name in my chest like a sharp knife that wouldn't come out, causing a silent, lingering ache. I could still perceive his icy gaze, the manner in which he would stare at me, as though he preferred my absence, as though I was only a hindrance in his existence.
"It has been five months." I spoke in a trembling voice, barely louder than a whisper. "Five months spent attempting to understand the cause of the problem. The reason he transformed into a monster. How he turned into this hollow husk, a person I can't even identify anymore." I tried to force a fake smile, but it faltered and turned into a bitter chuckle instead.
"My parents also acted like they didn't notice anything," I whispered wearily, my voice heavy with tiredness and bitterness. For them, this marriage was like a fairy tale, an ideal situation that restored their previous social standing. I experienced a scorching sensation in my throat-the discomfort of tears I had suppressed for too long. "They believed I had at last discovered joy."
"I made an attempt. I made a great effort to meet expectations, to fulfill my father's wishes, to satisfy Owen's desires, in the hope that he might eventually acknowledge me." I struggled to control my shaky voice and clenched my teeth, determined to stay calm as I tightly squeezed my fists, feeling my nails digging into my palms to steady myself. "No matter what effort I exerted, it was always inadequate. I had disappeared from my own life."
"I simply desire for this agony to cease... I wish for everything to come to a halt."
I clicked 'Upload' quickly, unable to stop myself, observing as the video vanished into the vastness of the internet, taking all the hidden parts of myself with it. I was unsure if it would be noticed or if anyone would show interest. It didn't matter.
I glanced over at the rope resting on the table. I sensed a lack of feeling, like all emotions had flowed out, leaving a serene, vacant exterior. Almost without thinking, I grabbed the rope and felt its texture anchor me as I wrapped it around the beam, securing it with an unfamiliar sense of calm. I got on the chair and stared at the ground below me. This marked the conclusion of the suffering, the hopes, and the constant pursuit of a life that never belonged to me.
I let out a final, brief breath before kicking the chair away.
===============
I slowly emerged, feeling cold and confusion creeping through my mind like fog. My eyes were too burdened to lift, my fatigue pulling my body down, along with a mysterious heaviness, as if I were suspended in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness.
Intense fluorescent lights seared my eyes as they blinked open, cutting through the fog. Everything surrounding me felt sanitised, remote, and overly illuminated. I felt a shadow next to me, and gentle fingers delicately covered my hand.
"Where...am I?" My voice was barely audible, hoarse, and rough, each word causing discomfort in my sore throat.
A nurse's face appeared, showing a soft expression filled with sympathy. "You're in a safe place," she whispered, gently squeezing my hand for reassurance. "It has been 48 hours since you were admitted while unconscious. You are now better."
"48 hours." The words floated in the air, seeming surreal and without heaviness.
How can I continue to exist in this physical form I believed I had moved on from? I felt my chest constrict and my throat fill with unidentified emotions. I looked away from her stare, unable to handle the affection in her gaze-that compassion.
After she departed, the heavy, engulfing silence weighed on me like all the burdens I had attempted to escape from.
"Even death rejected me." I whispered.
Shortly after, the door opened once more, and I prepared myself for yet another nurse or doctor. Instead, a female police officer walked in, her gaze unwavering but caring.
"Mrs. Wraxall." She spoke in a calm tone, her voice oddly comforting. "I'm Officer Garrett."
I moved with difficulty, every muscle sore, which made my motion sluggish. "What is it that you want?" I had a harsh tone in my voice, with words that were not meant to sound that way.
Officer Garrett moved closer, her facial expression becoming gentler. "I've come to look into the video you uploaded on the internet," she said softly. "It has been going viral, and people... well, people are concerned about you."
The words hit like a punch, empty and confusing. "Worried?"
I wanted to let out a bitter, hollow laugh, but it ended up getting stuck in my throat and emerging as a strangled noise. "Why are you attempting to deceive me?" I whispered, my tone heavy with resentment. "Nobody cares!"
She maintained her unyielding gaze, a subtle comprehension evident in her eyes. "Sometimes people don't realise until it's too late," she said gently. "But now that you have been offered the attention. If you're ready to converse, we're ready to listen."
I averted my gaze, looking at my hands while feeling the familiar heaviness settling on me, weighing on my bones. What can I say that would make a difference? The isolation, the deceit, and the wounds that had been inflicted remained present and piercing.
I balled up my hands, turning my face. "I'm not sure if..." I whispered, my voice fading as the words felt too delicate to complete, too hesitant.
Officer Garrett remained, her presence stable and steadfast, indicating she would stay until necessary.
Within that quietness, an unresolved decision approached.
I opened my mouth to let the words pour out-
Raised in a world where her parents are always away on business trips, she was free to live recklessly from her teenage years onward. With no one around to set boundaries, she dives headfirst into a life of wild indulgence, driven by the need for freedom and thrill. SEX CHRONICLES follows the journey of a young woman who lives on her own terms, indulging in every temptation that comes her way. It's a raw, unfiltered exploration of a life lived recklessly, where love, lust, and consequences are tangled together in a world of unrestrained passion.
Ivory had a night of passion with her step-brother, Leo, on the eve of her father's wedding. She believes her secret was safe. The next Monday, a scandal breaks out that puts her father's shares and position in jeopardy, so she was persuaded to marry Leo to save the family reputation. Weeks later, Ivory's father dies mysteriously, and her world is turned upside down which raises a dark and very dangerous reality. With her life turned into something she never wanted or expected. Will she unravel the mystery behind her father's demise and find a way to reclaim life?
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
Kara Martin was known as Miss Perfect. She was a beauty with good personality and successful career. Unfortunately, her life changed at one night. She was accused of adultery, losing her job, and abandoned by her fiance. The arrogant man who slept with her did not want to take responsibility. He even threatened to kill her if they met again. What's worse, Kara was pregnant with twins and she chose to give birth to them. Four and a half years later, Kara returned to work at a large company. As the secretary, she would frequently face their notorious CEO. Kara thought it wouldn't be a problem, but as it turned out ... the CEO was the father of the twins!
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..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.