Despite being an ordinary orphan girl, Cheryl managed to marry the most powerful man in the city. He was perfect in every aspect, but there was one thing-- he didn't love her. Three years into their marriage, she finally got pregnant, but it was also the day her husband gave her their divorce papers. It seemed that he had fallen in love with another woman, and he assumed that she had fallen for another man as well. Just when she thought the relationship was coming to an end, all of a sudden, he didn't seem to want her gone. She was already about to give up, but then he came back and confessed his love for her. What was Cheryl supposed to do in this tangle between love and hate, while being pregnant on top of it? What was best for her?
"You're pregnant, ma'am. Congratulations!"
Cheryl Naylor walked out of the hospital in a stupor, but the doctor's remarks continued to play in her head.
When she glanced at the pregnancy test report in her hand once more, her face creased into a sudden smile.
It was the third year of Cheryl and Jarred Fuller's marriage.
They wed not because of love but to fulfill the last request of Jarred's grandmother.
However, Jarred was a wonderful husband once they were married, doing everything a spouse should do. He made sure Cheryl lived a good life and took good care of her. Every year on their anniversary, he would ask his assistant to send Cheryl a gift.
He treated her with the utmost respect and dignity that a wife deserved.
It seemed to everyone else that they were the sweetest and most loving couple.
However, it was a far cry from reality.
Cheryl kept to herself that Jarred did not utter a single "I love you" to her in the past three years they spent together.
Nonetheless, she fervently wanted to marry him, and she was already content with just having his company and presence in her life. She hoped their happiness would only increase now that they were expecting their firstborn.
Cheryl cautiously tucked away the pregnancy test report and eagerly dialed Jarred's number.
"Cheryl."
The man's deep and pleasant voice could be heard via the phone. It had a soothing tone to it.
Cheryl couldn't keep her enthusiasm from coming through, and her voice reflected it. "Jarred, I've got some news for you!"
"I've got something to tell you, as well. Let's talk about it later tonight."
"Okay..."
But before Cheryl could finish her sentence, the call was abruptly ended.
She didn't know what to think at first, but the pleasure of her first pregnancy soon took over.
Night came fast as the sun started to sink lower in the sky.
Bright lights illuminated the River Villa.
Cheryl prepared a feast of Jarred's favorite dishes as she waited for him to come back.
Before long, a car pulling up on the driveway could be heard outside.
As she anxiously awaited his entrance, Cheryl's pulse raced.
The urge to welcome him prompted her to get to her feet.
At that moment, the door swung open, and a tall guy strode in.
Jarred had a reputation for dressing sharply. He was dressed in a tailored grey suit, a crisp white shirt, and a fancy tie.
He had chiseled features and a prominent nose that stood out. His gold-rimmed glasses gave people the impression of being aloof and arrogant.
"You're home. Let's eat dinner first, shall we?"
Cheryl suggested, smiling.
She held out her hand unintentionally to Jarred. However, he just lifted his hand to check the time. A pang of shame from being ignored stopped her hand in mid-air.
"It's already late. You haven't eaten yet?" Jarred's brow furrowed slightly.
"You said tonight..." Cheryl was about to say something but decided against it after a second thought. She then asked, "Have you already eaten?"
Jarred's gaze wandered into the dining room and landed on the meticulously prepared dishes.
"Not yet."
He strolled over to the table as soon as he finished speaking.
Cheryl sighed contentedly and smiled as she joined him.
They sat down to eat.
Cheryl had been slaving away in the kitchen for hours, and she was starving.
After taking a few bites into her meal, she noticed Jarred was staring at her with deep-set eyes.
Jarred was the first to speak up when they locked eyes.
"We should get a divorce, Cheryl."
Cheryl's fork crashed on the table as it slipped from her grasp.
She seemed to be in a state of repressed disbelief as she sat still on her chair.
Jarred stayed quiet, patiently waiting for her to absorb the news.
Even the sound of needles landing on the floor could be heard clearly in the dining room.
The stifling silence was only broken by the sound of an incoming text message.
Cheryl glanced down at her phone to see a message from Sheila Goodwin, her best friend of many years.
"I ran into Jarred and Ines at the art show today! Keep an eye on your man. Don't let that skank Ines take your husband away from you."
Cheryl stared at the screen uncomprehendingly. She fiercely blinked back the sudden scalding tears.
After a while, she mustered a bitter smile.
That explained why she suspected something was off with Jarred today. It was no surprise he didn't come home last night.
Cheryl only understood now why Jarred had been acting strangely.
'What should I do, Sheila?
She already took Jarred from me,'
Cheryl thought to herself. Her eyelids were tightly shut to keep the tears from flowing.
She felt like a knife was stabbing her heart, yet she managed a slight grin. "Are you divorcing me because of Ines?"
Jarred didn't say anything as he looked at her deadpan expression.
Despite being an ordinary orphan girl, Cheryl managed to marry the most powerful man in the city. He was perfect in every aspect, but there was one thing-- he didn't love her. Three years into their marriage, she finally got pregnant, but it was also the day her husband gave her their divorce papers. It seemed that he had fallen in love with another woman, and he assumed that she had fallen for another man as well. Just when she thought the relationship was coming to an end, all of a sudden, he didn't seem to want her gone. She was already about to give up, but then he came back and confessed his love for her. What was Cheryl supposed to do in this tangle between love and hate, while being pregnant on top of it? What was best for her?
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
On her wedding anniversary, Brielle plans on gifting her husband, Alpha Argon, a news on her pregnancy. But she's left shattered when she found Argon proposing to his first lover, Estelle, a super model and daughter of Alpha Deron from Red Wood pack. Argon rejects Brielle for his first love. He and Estelle don't hesitate to mock her for being wolfless and a burden with no family. When she planned to hide the news of her pregnancy, a curious Estelle fishes out the report, shocking Argon with the news. Brielle thinks the goddess would mend her broken relationship, but her whole world came crumbling when Argon and Estelle pushed her down the stairs, resulting to her miscarriage. Broken, she receives a divorce letter from Argon, giving her twenty four hours to sign and leave. In her pains, something was awoken in Brielle. Something rare and deadly. "Don't sign it, Brielle. That's not the way of the IVYs. Make them pay." Her eyes glowed green.
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"