Cosme Seidel

My adopted brother, Noah Vance, was my whole world. He protected me, cherished me, and always put me first. I secretly loved him, a forbidden love I dared not speak. Then, my best friend, Chloe, betrayed me. She told Noah everything, and he exploded, tearing my diary to shreds and calling me "disgusting." A week later, he announced his engagement to her. He became cold, a stranger. I watched him dote on Chloe, saw him kiss her with a passion he never showed me. My heart shattered. When a family tracing agency found my biological parents, I saw it as a sign-a chance to escape the Vance family and my broken dreams. I made plans to leave the country forever. But before I left, things got worse. Noah forced me to help Chloe plan their wedding, dismissing my lifetime of dedication to dance. Then, in a horrific car crash, he chose to save Chloe, leaving me bleeding and trapped, destroying my leg and my ability to dance. Even on the night of my final performance, using the choreography I poured my soul into, he stood by Chloe as she took all the credit. He kissed her on stage, and I was left to watch my life' s dream become someone else' s triumph. How could he betray me so completely? I packed my life away, the gifts he once gave me now symbols of betrayal. I walked out on his wedding day, leaving him behind forever. I thought I was free. But a diplomat's daughter doesn't just disappear.

On our tenth wedding anniversary, my husband Liam handed me a beautifully wrapped gift. It wasn't jewelry; it was a leather-bound notebook, a "playbook" detailing years of his affairs, each encounter meticulously logged. My world shattered as he casually demanded I "disperse" his harem, paying them off so we could "start over." For ten years, I' d been the obedient wife, the replacement bride after my twin sister Chloe supposedly died. Swallowing the humiliation, I worked my way through the list, until only one name remained: Chloe, still alive, and heavily pregnant with Liam's child. He hadn' t wanted me back; he wanted me gone, to bring her home. The cruel, elaborate lie of my marriage finally unraveled. When I confronted him, Liam' s facade dropped, his hands around my throat, whispering I was just a "pathetic replacement." Then, Chloe appeared, feigning innocence and twisting our past, painting me as obsessed, while Liam demoted me from wife to servant, ordering me to care for his pregnant mistress. Driven to despair, I called my mother, who immediately came to my rescue. But just as she arrived, Chloe, in Liam' s car, brutally ran her down, killing her before my eyes. Liam then presented me with a waiver, demanding I absolve Chloe of responsibility to protect his mistress and "his son," offering me money for my mother' s death. The callous contempt in his eyes, the utter disrespect for my grief, ignited a cold, hard fury I had never known. I tore his waiver to shreds, the act a blazing declaration of war. At my mother' s funeral, Chloe brazenly confessed the murder, gloating over her "plan" to get rid of my mother, then deliberately provoked me. Liam, in his rage, viciously kicked me in the stomach, causing the miscarriage of our child-a child he didn' t even know existed. The final betrayal came when I needed him most; in the hospital, writhing in pain, he dismissed my pleas for help, choosing Chloe, leading to another devastating miscarriage. I was losing everything, suffocating in a nightmare orchestrated by the very people who were supposed to be my family. But then, my uncle arrived, a beacon of unwavering support, pulling me from the abyss. Two years passed. Reborn as Ava Sterling, a successful design mogul, I returned, ready to make Liam pay. At a charity gala, I humiliated him publicly, then gave him a choice: send Chloe, the woman he' d loved, to prison for murder, or lose me forever. He chose to sacrifice Chloe, but his act of penance was merely the opening gambit in my game of revenge. Chloe was arrested, her frantic cries exposing Liam's complicity, destroying his reputation. His calls became desperate, demanding his "reward." He had no idea his punishment had just begun.

For years, I was Gabrielle Johns: a dedicated librarian in our sleepy Utah town, and the devout wife of Matthew Scott, a man cherished by our church. My deepest prayer was for children, and after embracing IVF and discovering I was having quadruplets, I truly believed God had answered my prayers fourfold. My brutal pregnancy was a testament to my faith, and Matthew, my "devoted" husband, orchestrated prayer circles, praising my suffering as a mother's beautiful love. Then, six months in, at a church potluck, my world shattered. Hiding in the garden, I overheard Matthew and two elders. Matthew, the man I loved, calmly explained how I was merely a "vessel," a "righteous sacrifice" carrying children for his mistress, his sister, his old friend, and his deceased fiancée's parents. He chuckled, deeming me "so trusting," "so naive," for believing these impossible pregnancies were ours. My casserole dish crashed, mirroring the implosion within me. Each kick from inside became a violation, a chilling reminder of his cold deception. I stumbled home, the truth a gaping wound, forced to play the loving wife while a cold rage hardened my core. He' d not only used my infertility, he' d caused it, poisoning me for years with "supplements" to destroy my eggs. My love incinerated, replaced by a singular, burning desire. The devout, forgiving Gabrielle died that night. The woman who remained knew one thing with absolute certainty: She wanted revenge. She would make Matthew pay, not with quick death, but with a living hell far worse.

My name is Gabrielle Johns, and I have a "knack" -a gut feeling that always comes true-and a secret curse: anyone who hurts me gets their comeuppance, disastrously proportional. My prediction of a 100-to-1 long shot winning the Kentucky Derby made me famous, and when Wesley Fowler, owner of a failing bourbon empire, offered life-changing money to save his family, I agreed. But the moment I stepped onto his opulent Lexington estate, his vicious daughter, Madisyn, stormed in. Mistaking me for a "homewrecker" secretly meeting her fiancé, Anthony, her eyes seared with rage. She and her friends dragged me out, throwing me onto the sharp gravel. They kicked me repeatedly, mocking my accent and clothes, until Madisyn screamed, "You think you can take what' s mine?!" and slammed my face into the stones. The final blow came when her boot shattered my mother's locket, the last thing I had of her. A silent, freezing fury consumed me. Through the pain, a cold certainty settled: the curse was awake. I looked Madisyn dead in the eye, my voice low and steady, "You' re about to lose what' s most important to you." Madisyn scoffed, but then stumbled, falling face-first onto a sharp ironwork, gashing her perfect face. Her friends watched in horror. "You witch!" she shrieked, then grabbed an antique hatpin, pinning me to the ground. "This is for my face!" she hissed, plunging it into my throat. As darkness consumed me, I heard Wesley Fowler' s voice, but it wasn't compassion. He looked at my bleeding throat, at his ruined investment, roaring at Madisyn, "You' ve destroyed our last chance!" He chose his influential but disfigured daughter' s "modern plan" over me, leaving me for dead in favor of a PR stunt. My father, with his own gut feeling, arrived just in time, scooping me up and promising a hell the Fowlers couldn' t imagine. My vocal cords were shredded, the doctors said I might never speak again. But a tiny, stubborn whisper grew inside me: I will speak again. What happened to the Fowlers after their desperate choice? Did their "modern plan" save them, or did my curse truly deliver its retribution? Find out how a hillbilly girl with a secret knack brought down an empire.

Thanksgiving. My favorite, and most dreaded, day of the year. For decades, I, Sarah, a CNA in my early forties, had been the invisible backbone of my family, paying for meals, offering endless support, always putting them first. My small home, filled with the aroma of the turkey I' d basted since dawn, should have been a sanctuary. But then Brenda, my manipulative mother, gathered us for dinner, her smile unnaturally sweet. Instead of giving thanks, she announced her estate plans. My brothers – John and Michael, perpetual freeloaders – each received significant inheritances, while my hands lay empty. Then, with a chillingly fake smile, she turned to me: "Sarah, dear, since you' re so good at caring for people, I' ve decided I' ll be moving in with you after the New Year." Not a thank you for decades of sacrifice, just a shameless demand. All the quiet resentment, the financial strain, the forgotten birthdays, the endless emotional and monetary drain – it all crashed down. "Happy Thanksgiving!" I screamed, pulling the tablecloth, sending the entire feast flying. My mother shrieked, then slapped me. My brothers, John and Michael, attacked, twisting my arm, shoving my head against the wall. How could a family be so cruel, so entitled? Bruised and furious, I knew one thing: this was the end of being their martyr, and the beginning of fighting for myself, my husband David, and my son Ben.

My life as Sarah was idyllic, a tapestry woven with threads of deep affection for my husband, Mark. On our anniversary, he brought home an adorable rescue Greyhound, Lucky, a seemingly innocent gesture of enduring love that I cherished. Yet, a simple locket and a familiar silver bracelet plunged me into an unimaginable horror. One moment, I was me; the next, I awoke in Lucky' s lean, furry body. From that terrifying dog' s perspective, I overheard my husband, Mark, confessing his monstrous conspiracy with his sister, Chloe: they engineered a soul swap, placing his dead ex-fiancée, Olivia, into my body, to eventually bear her long-lost son, Ethan. Trapped and voiceless as Lucky, I helplessly endured my own planned "euthanasia" at the vet, then returned home to relentless, malicious torment by Olivia, who reveled in shredding my cherished possessions and defiling our home. Mark, meanwhile, dismissed my every desperate whimper, while Chloe masterfully gaslit my growing terror, blind to the true evil brewing beneath their smiles. The man I adored, my best friend, their insidious plot to use me, not just for Olivia's reincarnation, but as a breeding vessel for a child that wasn't even his, all while coveting my family's immense fortune. The profound, unimaginable betrayal morphed my terror into a chilling, unbreakable resolve. But then, a flash of searing light. I bolted upright in my own bed, in my own body, gasping for breath. The scent of home filled my lungs, and beside me, Mark stood, a leash in hand, with Lucky at his side. I was back. On the very cursed day it all began. This time, I wouldn't just be a victim; I would dismantle their world, piece by agonizing piece.

The last thing I remembered was the screech of tires, followed by a blinding flash that swallowed the world. Ethan was at the wheel, his voice sharp with accusations about some film festival rejection he insisted was my fault. Then, an inexplicable void. I awoke to the familiar, comforting scent of cheap coffee and aged textbooks in my old college dorm room. My head throbbed, but it was the calendar on the wall that delivered the true shock: it was ten years ago. A full decade of my life, a lifetime of ambition, had been erased, yet the bitter aftermath lingered. I remembered postponing my prestigious architecture scholarship for him, endlessly pouring my youth into his perpetually failing film career. I recalled working two menial jobs, typing his screenplays, networking tirelessly on his behalf, all while my own dreams gathered dust. He consumed my time, my energy, my money, only to resent me when his "art" didn't instantly launch him to stardom. "You held me back," he'd always complained, "your practicality smothered my genius." The sheer unfairness of it all, the memory of a wasted decade, ignited a cold fury in my gut. How could I have been so utterly blind, so utterly foolish? But this time, the narrative would be mine. This time, there would be no sacrifices, no compromises, especially not for him. I packed a small bag with my architecture notes and left a single, decisive message on his cluttered desk: "Ethan, I'm done. Don't look for me." No explanation, no argument-just a quiet, resolute walk into my real future.

On our twelfth anniversary, I spent hours preparing a perfect dinner for Mark, Apex Digital CEO. I' d given up my tech career, believing we were building our grand future together. He arrived three hours late, reeking of expensive perfume. He dismissed my efforts, glued to his phone. Next morning, his assistant, Brittany, flaunted a designer watch-a gift from him-in a "candid" Instagram post. Then, her email: an ultrasound, CC' d to me, taunting me about Mark' s excitement for "a real family" and calling me "too old." "You' re getting on a bit for a family now, aren' t you?" Mark sneered, openly confirming his affair. He gaslit me, claiming I let my career go, while his multi-million dollar Apex empire was secretly founded on my stolen intellectual property from our original startup. "Too old." "Real family." The words burned. He' d betrayed me, built his success on my forgotten genius, then casually cast me aside. The injustice was profound: how could the man I loved claim my life' s work and discard me so callously? As despair threatened, my grandmother Eleanor' s wisdom echoed: "Always have your own nest egg. And keep copies." She' d meticulously preserved my original patent filings. Mark' s "buyout" was a sham; Apex was my brainchild. A powerful spark ignited. It was time not just for divorce, but to reclaim what was mine and dismantle his fraudulent empire.

My king-sized bed felt impossibly wide between my long-term boyfriend, Ethan, and me. I' d poured years into him, supporting his struggling architecture dreams, always his loyal rock. I believed in our future, a quiet, stable life together. But then I heard his confession. "Sarah' s great, you know? She' s comfortable. Safe. But the passion… it' s not there. Not like with Jessica." His manipulative ex, who' d once abandoned him, was back. He was preparing to win a public auction to spend a day with her. I watched him publicly fawn over Jessica, outbidding everyone, his eyes only for her. Days later, after a life-threatening car accident, I called him from the hospital. He dismissed me, again, through Jessica. At the formal proxy wedding I' d agreed to for my best friend, Jessica orchestrated a physical attack on me. And still, Ethan chose to save his ex, leaving me behind. "Comfortable. Safe." Each word was a physical blow. How could the man I loved see me as so inconsequential? The betrayal ran bone deep. Was this all I was meant to be? My friend' s plea echoed: "Marry the reclusive billionaire in my place." It was insane. But what was left to lose? I wouldn't be comfortable or safe again. I would choose my own escape. My own fight.

My life revolved around little Samuel, my two-month-old son, in the grand Winston estate. One quiet afternoon, a faint wheeze from the nursery monitor pierced the silence, and my world shattered. I found Samuel struggling for breath, turning blue, his emergency inhaler intentionally placed just out of his tiny reach. My fourteen-year-old stepdaughter, Chloe, stood by his crib, a chilling, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips. As I lunged for my dying son, Chloe shrieked, "Daddy, Emily's gone crazy!" My husband, James, burst in, his face a mask of annoyance, not panic, as he rushed to comfort Chloe's theatrical tears. His mother, Margaret, a formidable matriarch, surveyed the scene and coldly declared, "Some children are not meant for this world. The Winston name doesn’t need weakness." They blamed me, coddled Chloe, and ignored the truth. My heart didn't just break; it calcified into a diamond of pure rage. How could my family dismiss Samuel’s life so callously, side with the person who allowed him to die, and blame *me* for their indifference? The injustice burned. But in that abyss of betrayal, something primal awakened within me. A chilling, intuitive certainty bloomed: I could make them pay. I met James’s cold gaze, my voice steady amidst their chaos. "I can give you sons, James. Healthy sons. Sons to carry the Winston name."

I followed Tristan for three years. Relying on this face to become his substitute for the moonlight. People all say that I am just a canary trapped in a cage. But who knows, all of this is voluntary? Because the heart beating in Tristan's chest. Originally belonged to my lover...

Aurora woke up to the sterile chill of her king-sized bed in Sterling Thorne's penthouse. Today was the day her husband would finally throw her out like garbage. Sterling walked in, tossed divorce papers at her, and demanded her signature, eager to announce his "eligible bachelor" status to the world. In her past life, the sight of those papers had broken her, leaving her begging for a second chance. Sterling's sneering voice, calling her a "trailer park girl" undeserving of his name, had once cut deeper than any blade. He had always used her humble beginnings to keep her small, to make her grateful for the crumbs of his attention. She had lived a gilded cage, believing she was nothing without him, until her life flatlined in a hospital bed, watching him give a press conference about his "grief." But this time, she felt no sting, no tears. Only a cold, clear understanding of the mediocre man who stood on a pedestal she had painstakingly built with her own genius. Aurora signed the papers, her name a declaration of independence. She grabbed her old, phoenix-stickered laptop, ready to walk out. Sterling Thorne was about to find out exactly how expensive "free" could be.

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Vesper's marriage to Julian Sterling was a gilded cage. One morning, she woke naked beside Damon Sterling, Julian's terrifying brother, then found a text: Julian's mistress was pregnant. Her world shattered, but the real nightmare had just begun. Julian's abuse escalated, gaslighting Vesper, funding his secret life. Damon, a germaphobic billionaire, became her unsettling anchor amidst his chaos. As "Iris," Vesper exposed Julian's mistress, Serena Sharp, sparking brutal war: poisoned drinks, a broken leg, and the horrifying truth-Julian murdered her parents, trapping Vesper in marriage. The man she married was a killer. Broken and betrayed, Vesper was caught between monstrous brothers, burning with injustice. Refusing victimhood, Vesper reclaimed her identity. Fueled by vengeance, she allied with Damon, who vowed to burn his empire for her. Julian faced justice, but matriarch Eleanor's counterattack forced Vesper's choice as a hitman aimed for her.

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

The roasted lamb was cold, a reflection of her marriage. On their third anniversary, Evelyn Vance waited alone in her Manhattan penthouse. Then her phone buzzed: Alexander, her husband, had been spotted leaving the hospital, holding his childhood sweetheart Scarlett Sharp's hand. Alexander arrived hours later, dismissing Evelyn's quiet complaint with a cold reminder: she was Mrs. Vance, not a victim. Her mother's demands reinforced this role, making Evelyn, a brilliant mind, feel like a ghost. A dangerous indifference replaced betrayal. The debt was paid; now, it was her turn. She drafted a divorce settlement, waiving everything. As Alexander's tender voice drifted from his study, speaking to Scarlett, Evelyn placed her wedding ring on his pillow, moved to the guest suite, and locked the door. The dull wife was gone; the Oracle was back.

My husband Julian celebrated our five-year anniversary by sleeping with his mistress. He thought I was a clueless trophy wife, too dim to notice the vanilla and tuberose scent on his expensive suits. He was wrong. For years, I played Mrs. Vance, hiding my brilliance while Julian claimed my patents. An anonymous email confirmed his ultimate betrayal: photos of him and Scarlett Kensington in ecstasy. My heart didn't break; it solidified into ice at five years wasted. I activated "The Protocol" for a new identity and escape countdown. Playing the doting wife, I plotted his downfall, catching him with his mistress selling my work, and publicly snapping his credit card. His betrayals and stolen work ignited a cold, calculated fury. He had no idea the monster he'd created. I was dismantling his empire. I shredded his patent papers, stripping him of his ill-gotten gains. With a final tap, I initiated "Identity Erasure." Mrs. Vance was dead. Dr. Evelyn Thorne had just begun her counterattack.

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 origins-a 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. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."

The acrid smell of smoke still clung to Evelyn in the ambulance, her lungs raw from the penthouse fire. She was alive, but the world around her felt utterly destroyed, a feeling deepened by the small TV flickering to life. On it, her husband, Julian Vance, thousands of miles away, publicly comforted his mistress, Serena Holloway, shielding her from paparazzi after *her* "panic attack." Julian's phone went straight to voicemail. Alone in the hospital with second-degree burns, Evelyn watched news replays, her heart rate spiking. He protected Serena from camera flashes while Evelyn burned. When he finally called, he demanded she handle insurance, dismissing the fire; Serena's voice faintly heard. The shallow family ties and pretense of marriage evaporated. A searing injustice and cold anger replaced pain; Evelyn knew Julian had chosen to let her burn. "Evelyn Vance died in that fire," she declared, ripping out her IV. Armed with a secret fortune as "The Architect," Hollywood's top ghostwriter, she walked out. She would divorce Julian, reclaim her name, and finally step into the spotlight as an actress.

Betrayed by her fiancé and stepsister a day before her wedding shattered all Lina's dreams about love. She was heartbroken and in pain. Being drugged and unknowingly loosing her virginity to a stranger is not as painful as being betrayed by her loved ones. She promised to make her pretentious step sister and her unfaithful fiancé pay back hundredfold for what they did to her. On her journey to seek revenge, the stranger she had a one night stand with, came knocking at her door with a marriage contract in hand. Without her knowing he was the one she has that blissful one night stand with, she agreed on the marriage contract for some reasons. Will she find out he was the one she had that blissful one night stand with? Will she fall in love with him after being betrayed? Will she be able to get her revenge on those that betrayed her? Find out in this amazing book "Contracted After Being Betrayed"

Vivian clutched her Hermès bag, her doctor's words echoing: "Extremely high-risk pregnancy." She hoped the baby would save her cold marriage, but Julian wasn't in London as his schedule claimed. Instead, a paparazzi photo revealed his early return-with a blonde woman, not his wife, at the private airport exit. The next morning, Julian served divorce papers, callously ending their "duty" marriage for his ex, Serena. A horrifying contract clause gave him the right to terminate her pregnancy or seize their child. Humiliated, demoted, and forced to fake an ulcer, Vivian watched him parade his affair, openly discarding her while celebrating Serena. This was a calculated erasure, not heartbreak. He cared only for his image, confirming he would "handle" the baby himself. A primal rage ignited her. "Just us," she whispered to her stomach, vowing to sign the divorce on her terms, keep her secret safe, and walk away from Sterling Corp for good, ready to protect her child alone.