The Thanksgiving Takedown

For five long years, I was Jane Doe, Alexander Sterling' s quiet, unassuming assistant, secretly working tirelessly to save his company from the brink of collapse. I poured my life, and even our family' s legendary Westbrook Star diamond, into the anonymous investment that kept him afloat, all for the man I deeply loved. Day in and day out, I remained by his side, hoping he would finally see past the "Jane" I presented and recognize the woman who sacrificed everything for him. But then, Isabelle Vance, all wide eyes and soft sighs, arrived, and suddenly, I was invisible, my every effort unacknowledged, my devotion unseen. His attention, his genuine laughter, the warmth I once cherished, was entirely for her, the new favorite who simply had to ask. I watched silently as Isabelle and her cruel assistant mocked me, sabotaged my work, and ultimately framed me for a ridiculous attack, turning him completely against me. In a horrifying public spectacle, Alexander, blinded by Isabelle' s lies, ruthlessly fired me, branding me a dangerous troublemaker without a second thought. Left bleeding on the sidewalk after his security guards physically coerced me out, my reputation was systematically shredded, every sacrifice I had made for him now spitting in my face. The ultimate betrayal left me numb, the years of silent devotion to a man who couldn't see me crushing my spirit beneath the weight of his callous disregard. Wasted years, unacknowledged love, and now, public humiliation – the bitter taste of utter betrayal mingled with the cold drizzle on my face, solidifying my decision. Yet, a strange clarity settled over me as the five-year term for the Westbrook Star ended. Jane Doe was dead, irrevocably gone. As the Westbrook Star returned to my possession, a cold, unyielding fury replaced the pain, signaling Seraphina Westbrook was finally coming home, ready to build a new life with the steadfast Ethan Hayes and leave Alexander Sterling to the bitter regret he so richly deserved.

My life used to be picture-perfect, complete with a brilliant scholarship student named Liam who tutored me, quietly becoming my everything. I was the privileged girl who bought him new glasses and shared my lunch, seeing past his poverty to the smart, kind soul within. Then, overnight, my family lost everything. Our mansion, our cars, my college fund-gone. I swallowed my pride, working a grueling sales job, fighting to pay for Boston State, while old bullies like Bryce sneered at my downfall. Just when I thought I was hitting rock bottom, Liam reappeared. He was no longer the skinny kid but a polished, confident man, the heir to a billionaire father he' d never known. He helped my struggling dad and even sent me money, yet a strange distance lingered, especially with the stunning Elena always by his side. Did he only see me as a charity case now, a relic from his past? Was all our shared history just a debt to be repaid? But then, as I finally tried to move on, dress on, ready for a hopeful new date, he stood on my doorstep. His eyes raw, his voice unsteady, he admitted, "I can't stand it. I'm in love with you. I have been since Northwood."

For two years, I, the quiet girl from the town' s greasy diner, nursed a secret, pathetic crush on Ethan Hayes, our school' s golden boy and star quarterback. He embodied everything I admired, a perfect hero from a storybook. Then, one day, I collapsed at a noisy pep rally, and when I came to, he was kneeling beside me, offering a hand, his voice laced with concern. But a chilling, disembodied voice pierced my mind – his actual thoughts: "Ugh, she' s always staring. So clumsy. Probably smells like that greasy diner her parents own." The boy I' d idolized, the kind, perfect Ethan, was instantly replaced by a sneer I hadn't seen but had devastatingly heard. His disgust became a physical weight, overshadowing the relentless bullying from Brittany, his queen-bee friend, which he passively allowed. The final blow came when I was publicly accused of cheating on an exam, and he, the one person who knew Brittany' s true intentions, remained a shameful, silent observer. How could my hero be such a snob, such a coward, letting me be publicly ridiculed and unjustly branded a cheat? The overwhelming unfairness of it all ripped through me, leaving me shattered and utterly alone. But in that deepest pit of humiliation, a scorching resolve ignited within me. I decided then and there to turn all that pain into raw fuel, to outwork everyone, especially him, and secure my escape to a future where my worth wasn' t dictated by their petty judgments.

I grew up spoiled, flying first class and dreaming of million-dollar handbags. But for once, I wanted a "real American experience," something my elite family would scoff at. So, I booked a Greyhound bus ticket, planning to save a fortune and prove I wasn't just a pampered rich kid. Then the nightmare jolted me awake, cold sweat gripping my back. It wasn't a dream; it was a memory. A grim, horrifying memory of that other life where my simple act of kindness on this very bus led to unspeakable horrors. I saw her again, "Mama" Darlene, with her sickeningly sweet smile and homemade cookies. I remembered the darkness that followed, waking up in a filthy room, my money gone. I remembered Cletus, Darlene' s son, dragging me into the mountains, bringing me to a shack. The things he did to me, the pain, before they left me for dead in a ditch. To be here again, reliving the beginning of that hell, felt like a cruel joke. Why was I given this second chance, only to endure the terror of knowing what was coming? My stomach clenched as I saw Mama Darlene, already beside my seat, her repulsive grandson pawing at my backpack. Was this nightmare destined to repeat, or could I break free? My hands trembled, but my mind was crystal clear. This time, I was awake. And this time, I was ready to turn their game into my personal battlefield. I grabbed my phone, and with a cold resolve, started calling in favors that would turn their Appalachian nightmare into theirs.

My doctor' s words echoed: rare, aggressive cancer. My husband, Mark, squeezed my hand, his politician's smile unconvincing. Then came the sliver of hope: an exclusive experimental program. But my sympathetic specialist, Dr. Ramirez, also mentioned my adopted sister, Jessica, suffering from a "severe, debilitating" flu aftermath. Mark, backed by my parents, didn't hesitate. They deemed frail Jessica more deserving of the treatment, claiming I was "strong." I watched as my only chance was handed over to her. It wasn't enough. Soon, Mark asked for a divorce to marry Jessica, citing her "stability" and "Leo' s future." My life' s work, my beloved bakery chain, signed over. My son, Leo, began calling Jessica "Mom." Even as my body screamed warnings – nosebleeds, fainting – they dismissed them, telling me to stop being "dramatic" and "upsetting Jessica." How could they be so utterly blind? So consumed by their self-serving narratives, so deaf to my silent screams? I was dying, yet they only saw a "strong" woman who needed to be "sensible" and give everything away. But then, Dr. Ramirez slipped me an unmarked vial: an experimental analgesic, three days of perfect health before a painful end. Three days to look fine, feel normal. Three days for my ultimate plan. My revenge would be served cold, from beyond the grave.

I was just Sarah, a single mom, trying to raise my nine-year-old daughter, Lily, right, leading her back to Mike's General Store to apologize for a stolen $3 toy. We went in, fifty dollars in my hand for the trouble, expecting a stern lecture, maybe some shame, but definitely a teachable moment. What we got instead was a brutal slap across Lily' s face from the owner, Mike, followed by him and his wife Brenda accusing my terrified child of being a seasoned, high-value shoplifter responsible for thousands in missing goods. They then physically bound Lily to a display rack, duct-taped a humiliating "I AM A THIEF" sign to her, and took mocking photos, threatening to post them on town social media and send them to her school, demanding an impossible $9,000 for their "losses." Even when a police officer arrived and revealed their own teenage son was the real thief, the system offered little justice for their monstrous actions, and my sweet Lily, heartbroken and broken, whispered the words no mother should ever hear: "I wish I wasn't alive." That desperate whisper, coupled with Mike's defiant, smug smirk as he walked away with seemingly no real consequences, triggered an irreversible transformation within me, turning a scared mother into an unstoppable force, ready to unleash a hell they never imagined for daring to hurt my child.

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.

"I knew he was trouble the moment I walked into our shared house. The way his hands gripped my waist when no one was looking, the way his voice dipped when he said my name, it wasn't just wrong, it was dangerous. He wasn't just my stepbrother, he was my undoing." **** All Evie Hayes wanted was to finish her college degree in peace, far from the chaos of her past. But when she moves into her stepfather's house near Ravencrest University, she finds herself stuck with Ryder Kingsley, her stepbrother and the school's golden boy. Ryder is everything she's sworn to avoid, arrogant, infuriatingly handsome, and completely off-limits. When late-night arguments turn into stolen touches, their forbidden connection becomes impossible to ignore. But in a world where secrets don't stay hidden, someone's bound to uncover the truth. And when they do, Ryder and Evie will have to decide if the risk is worth the ruin.

Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."

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.

The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?

Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.