/0/64693/coverbig.jpg?v=9b4e47383e69b6ab821dc19806b5dd6e)
"Get your bloody self off me! After killing my son, you still have the nerves to ask for a chance to father my adopted child." Viola struggled to loosen Leonardo's grip on her when he pinned her to the wall and asked for forgiveness and a second chance to be a father to their son after decades of being apart. At the age of fifteen, Viola vowed to do anything to save her dying mother, and lucky enough, she found refuge in the hands of Mrs. Vera Vans, who accidentally hit her on the highway. A few years down the line, Viola caught the attention of the only son and heir of the Van's family, Leonardo Vans, and they ended up happily married. Mrs. Vans despised Viola's union with her son and did everything in her power to get them divorced. Losing her parents, her marriage, and her child in the same year, Viola decided to leave the country and came back after twenty-two years with her adopted son, Nicole, to take revenge on those that tormented her life, but the sharp Leonardo was quick to discover that her adopted son is the product of their union twenty-three years ago, and he came begging for a second chance. Would Viola forgive and accept him back? Then what is the fate of his mother, who masterminded their divorce? Would Nicole easily accept him as a father, remembering the sufferings he passed through in the past? What is the fate of Leonardo's wife and her children if Viola decides to get back with him?
Chapter 1
"Dad, where is mom?" And why are you home this early? I thought you were supposed to be at the workshop." Young Viola questioned her father when she got back from school that fateful day and met her father sitting on the couch, drenched in thoughts; he didn't even notice when she opened the door and came in.
Viola, my dear, your mother is in the hospital. I was at the workshop when the neighbours called to inform me that she slumped, and they rushed her to the hospital." Her father explained.
"Oh no! This can't be!" Still standing in her school uniform, Viola cried, and her watery eyes started pouring out tears streaming gently down her face in less than a minute.
She knew that her mother had been complaining of mild aches for the past few days, but she never expected it to lead her to being hospitalized.
"Then, what are you doing here, Dad? We have to go! We have to take care of Mummy!" She said, dragging her father's hand to lead him out of the house and head over to the hospital.
"Hold on, Viola; you're still in your school clothes; you have to change first, and Mummy still has people taking care of her at the hospital. Don't worry, she'll be fine."
Even as a little child, Viola got disturbed by her father's confidence in speech that doesn't make any sense to her hearing.
She stood still and glared at him without a word, her heart bleeding as she tried to ponder the meaning of his statement.
"Dad, do you love my mom?" Are you wishing for Mom to die so you could rest from taking care of her medications?" Viola finally voiced out.
"Viola! Don't say that!" Her father yelled.
"I love your mom. She's my life! I don't think I can survive it if anything bad happens to her."
"Then why are you not by her side right now in the hospital, Dad? Why are you so confident that other people can take care of her even in your absence? Why are you seated at home while my mother is out there struggling for her life on the hospital bed?" Viola lamented, and with the increasing pitch in her voice, she sobs intermittently.
Her father gazed at her; he didn't want to allow himself to get angry at her because she was only a child, and she's not wrong for thinking that way.
But he wasn't home because he was tired of taking care of his sick wife; he loves her with all of his heart.
It was never his wish to be at home while his wife is there lying down on a hospital bed with no close family around her.
How can he explain this to young Viola to understand?
"Dad, I'll see you at the hospital!" Young Viola angrily went in and changed and left the house to be with her mother.
She doesn't have any idea of the hospital her mother was taken to, but she was confident that she must definitely find her in one out of the three nearby hospitals in the community.
"Viola, wait!" Her father called out and grabbed her hand tight.
"I'm not home because I don't love your mother, Viola. I'm home because money is needed for her medical bill, and I don't have such an amount of money!"
He explained with a cracking voice, showing concern over his wife's health.
"She's supposed to be discharged and come home, but what I have is not enough to settle the bill. The neighbors offered to look after her for me as I sorted a way out to provide the money."
Viola felt weakened by her father's explanations. She could see reasons why he was at home.
"But he cannot keep sitting at home and abandoning her there! Something has to be done to bring her back home!" She thought.
"So what are you going to do now, Dad?" She asked calmly.
"I've called my friends and family that I believed could help, but help isn't forthcoming from anyone. I don't know what else to do, Viola. I don't know what to do!" He lamented, and as a little child with a fragile heart, he nearly lost hold of his tears, which almost fell off in his little daughter's presence.
"Dad, don't worry; everything will be fine. Just carry the little money with you, and let's go and see her. Maybe the doctors would reduce the bill for you if you beg them!" She held her father's hand and suggested calmly.
Her suggestions sounded funny and unreasonable, but her father tried to avoid giving her any reason to question his love for her mother again, so he accepted and they navigated their way to the hospital.
Besides, even if he keeps staying back at the house for 3 more hours, he has no hope of getting help from anyone.
"Viola!" Her mother struggled to shout her name, forcing a smile on her face while enduring the pains.
"Mummy! I miss you!" Young Viola ran and hugged her mom on the hospital bed.
She looked at her mother with pity, her mind flashing back to how she lost her two siblings years ago to the cold hands of death because her parents were not buoyant enough to pay for a good medical treatment for them.
"Don't cry, baby, I'm fine. I'm definitely coming back home today." Her mother consoled her and gently lifted her hands to clean the tears on her face.
Mrs. Gomez turned and looked at her husband; from the expression on his face, she could tell that something was wrong.
"Excuse me, Daddy, I need to ease myself." Viola said and left the ward.
She watched carefully and saw that no one who knew her was watching, so she quickly ran out of the hospital and walked down the next street opposite the hospital.
Reaching a mansion with a tall fence and an iron gate, she stood there and knocked profusely.
Emerald Scott is a woman endowed with beauty and wealth. She lacks nothing except one thing that her money couldn't buy, 'TRUE LOVE.' But everything changed when she met the only man that ever showed her sincerity in love, Dennis Spencer. Even though he was rejected by her family, Emerald didn't hesitate to say 'Yes' to Dennis at the altar and sacrificed everything she had to transform him from a broke ass into a billionaire CEO. Everything was perfect, until their third anniversary, when Dennis returned home with his ex-girlfriend, who was pregnant with his second child, and threw divorce papers at Emerald. "You have two hours to sign this divorce and get the hell out of my life. I'm way out of my league now, Emerald. Besides, Sylvia here is pregnant, and I'm sure you won't advise me to cling to a barren soul like you, right?" he declared coldly without a surge of remorse. She pleaded with tears, but she was still thrown out of the home she built without a pin of belonging. She lost everything!*************"Marry me, Emerald, and I'll give you everything you ever desired," Adrian Taylor requested. He is the youngest business mogul, who turned out to be Dennis's top and most influential client. "Yes, I'll marry you, but under one condition: you'll destroy everything that Dennis has and turn him into a street beggar." Emerald replied with a determined voice. ****************** "Emerald, I can't believe that you chose to be a shameless gold digger instead of getting a cure for yourself!" Her ex-husband said with his reddened and regretful eyes when he lost everything. "Are you starting to regret your actions now, Mr. Dennis?" "Or–do you have more to say? How about you call me a gold maker? Because I'm back to take every good thing I've ever brought to your life," she declared with a smug smile.
"This marriage is null and void! The wedding of Dan Miller and Lucia Ray is null and void." A man from behind shouted as he stepped into the entrance of the church, breathing heavily, just as the priest was about to pronounce Dan and Lucia 'husband and wife'. Dan Miller, the CEO of Miller's Production Enterprise, hurriedly planned a wedding with his fiance, Lucia Ray, whom they've dated for only two months. His plan was to outsmart his father, who had signed a contract with his friend, Dantes. The moment young Miller set an eye on those papers, he had been looking for a way to do a surprise wedding without his father's consent. "Never! Over my dead body would I forcefully marry the daughter of my father's debtor! I can never marry someone who is not my standard." He thought to himself. He was at the altar with his bride, taking their marriage vows, when his father, Mr. Morgan Miller, who was out of the country for a six-month business trip, showed up unexpectedly and put the wedding to a halt. "You either marry Clara Dantes in the next two weeks or you lose your position as the heir of the Miller's family." Mr. Miller declared. Stuck of choice, Dan vows to ill-treat Clara in their marriage till she finally decides to leave by herself. Forced to marry the arrogant son of the billionaire because of her father's debt to offset her mother's medical bill, Clara Dantes planned to get back with her ex-lover once she secured a loan and paid off the debt. As time went on, Clara and Dan realised that they had developed true feelings for each other, but they had to be strong and fight their past as their ex-lovers conspired to ruin their union
"I'm done with you, Lila; you and I know that there's no chemistry between us." Grey Shun, the CEO of Bintex Ltd., one of the leading textile companies in the city of New York, told Lila Sims with his face devoid of any remorse. Lila Sims has been living in depression since the first day of her three-year-old marriage. She had done all she could to please Grey, but the more she tried, the more she kept getting depressed. Young, talented, and beautiful career woman, Lila Sims gave up everything for the sake of her marriage with Grey, turning her into a shadow of herself. A marriage she worked hard to keep moving ended like a flash of light on a day she least expected-her twenty-fifth birthday dinner! Lila Sims was ready to accept the divorce in good faith and let go of everything, until she discovered Grey's mystery mistress, who has been the cause of her misery in marriage. She vouch to take her revenge to the fullest. Lila conspired with Brian, Grey's ex-rival, to ruin Grey's life, but Brian wants more from her; he wants a relationship with her. Will Lila risk her heart for love again to get her revenge the way she planned, or will she give up on her revenge plans to avoid being heartbroken a second time?
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"