Minerva was so close to tying the knot with her long-time boyfriend Derrick when an unexpected accident fatally killed him. With only five months before she'll give birth, she had look for various jobs that can raise her and her upcoming child until she met Darwin Gray, the CEO of the biggest company in their city and happens to be Derrick's half-brother. She was skeptical at first to live with him until Darwin revealed that Derrick actually sold her to him in order to finance Derrick's gambling lifestyle. Minerva was absolutely heartbroken and was left with no choice than to be his Mrs. Gray. But, as the winds of fate change, Minerva will soon realize that one must never judge a book by its cover-that despite Darwin's ruthless appearance lies a heart that has long been yearning for a one true love.
The sky was now dark.
As dark as the clothes she was wearing to her fiancé's funeral. The crying of the people was a cacophony to Minerva's ears; even her own crying.
Derrick's sapphire engagement ring was still cherished by her ring finger-the same color of her pristine and beautiful eyes.
Minerva wiped away the tears that had long made her scarlet handkerchief wet. The handkerchief was the very first gift given to her by Derrick-her first and probably last boyfriend.
"Condolence, Minerva..." The voice was familiar. It was from Daphne, her brunette co-teacher who teaches at the same high school as she had before.
"Thanks." Minerva's answer was definitely sincere-as sincere as the love she bears to Derrick. It was very genuine to the point that she chose to wait for Derrick's approval of her marriage request upon the first week of carrying his child.
It had been days already since she'd been carrying her now-resting fiancé's child.
Minerva could still vividly remember that Derrick was always the person who wants to be prepared, who wants to have perfection in such things.
But, it seems he wasn't prepared the moment he was now laid in the casket, in the coffin. So was Minerva. She wasn't prepared for any of this, to be honest.
It was just last week that she'd been preparing for the baby and even planning to apply for work as soon as she gave birth when the news of Derrick's car accident reached her very ears from her apartment's telephone.
It was her best friend Mariella Chu, who also happens to be working as a nurse in the local hospital, who phoned her about Derrick's passing.
He was dead on arrival. Perhaps God, or any supreme being out there, didn't give Derrick even a slight chance to live-not even a chance to say his final goodbye to his baby. And most of all, not even a word of goodbye to his soon-to-be-wife.
The attendees of the funeral are gradually decreasing. Probably because midnight is nearing and most of them have their homes hundreds of kilometres away from this venue.
The flickering lights from the candle reflect in the eyes of Minerva as she was the sole person to be left in her former boyfriend's house.
Derrick lost her mother at a young age and his father already had another family the time that he was born. So, this is the last time she can step foot to this simple house as it was already sold just a week ago. They've planned to use the money for their settling down. Therefore, she had a bit of money left-Derrick had a bit of money left for her and their baby.
Without further ado, she too went home to her apartment as the caretaker of the house showed up, signalling her time to depart into the four walls of her once beloved Derrick's abode.
***
Morning came by the time she opened her eyes-so was her morning sickness.
Indeed, it is not easy to bear a child as it is very complicated. Especially to her as she was left by the only man she dearly loved.
She grabbed the hems of the ebony curtains and swiftly split it open, revealing the morning sun's beaming light. She looked to her left and the pink sticky note that she tacked on the calendar that was just a freebie on the grocery store, reminds her that she has a medical appointment today.
It was definitely upsetting. Upsetting due to the fact that the cash she has on hand could probably not even buy bread and butter. Without any choice, she phoned the only person who knew of her current situation-her financial situation.
The phone rings on the other side and the voice of Mariella Chu reverberates.
"Are you ready for your check up today, Minnie?"
Minnie. That was her Chinese-American best friend nicknamed her after the famous "girlfriend" of Disney's Mickey Mouse.
She cleared her throat before responding to Mariella's query. "I am, Ella."
"Good. Just let me know when I can fetch you. I'm still on the home service of one of my patients as of now but I can drive to your apartment perhaps in less than three hours."
Minerva paused. She looked at the Hello Kitty watch that she had since she was a grade-schooler. It's seven in the morning. Perfect for a nice warm bath for a pregnant single mother like her.
"Sure. I'll just have my preparations."
"Sure, Minnie! Bye for now."
Then the receiver on the other end was now silent. As silent as the morning, if not for her stomach's rumbling that signals her that it's her breakfast time.
She treaded towards her bathroom that's no less than a few steps from her bed, and took a nice warm shower.
***
Minerva was wrong.
She was wrong that her bath would be a warm and refreshing one.
Well, it's kind of refreshing because her body was definitely drenched in her own tears, sweat, and probably from her saliva.
But still, the water from the shower seems to come from a freezer. It was very cold as she bathed herself, bathe their selves. Or is it just because she was pregnant? Well, the body of a pregnant woman was always a bit "hot" on the inside, as they say.
The splashing of water was both music and noise to her ears. The more she soaked in the shower, the more her teeth gritted due to the frigid waters from the shower.
She quickly gets out from the freezing bathroom that even her little circular mirror was shrouded in a mist as a result of the cold shower.
She wrapped her slender body and her now-circular womb in a forest green bath towel. Her eyes caught what seemed to be falling from the outside sky that made her realize why the water is wholly gelid-snow.
Today is the first day of snow in the city-the first day of winter. Now, that's what you call total misfortune. She only has one thick jacket left for the first day of winter. Two, if you're gonna include Derrick's trench coat that happens to be still in his former home.
She will get their remaining things from the now-sold house after her appointment from her ob-gyn. At least her ob-gyn was the sister of her mother's husband. The doctor was her mother's sister-in-law, to be simple.
Her mother volunteered to answer the expenses for her check-up. At least in that way, her mother, who now has another family, still manages to "care" for her since the death of her biological father five years ago.
Minerva was definitely still lucky amidst her unluckiness oozing up to its brim. She still has a mother that has still a bit of kindness left in her heart-that is if she still has one.
Her phone rings. She was still munching her sunny-side egg when Mariella called her. She seized a glass of lukewarm water and immediately drank it in just a matter of seconds.
"Wait for me, Mariella," Minerva muttered then shove the remaining fried egg and French toast into her small mouth.
Before she could speak further, three knocks interrupted her simple breakfast.
'Perhaps it's Ella...' Minerva mused. "Coming!"
When she opened the door, Minerva was flabbergasted. It was not her best friend, Mariella Chu.
It was her mother.
"Hello dear! I came to take you to your doctor, who happens to be my beautiful sister-in-law. I already phoned Mariella as she was also having an immediate family matter to attend."
Minerva was about to open her mouth but chose not to as she remembered that she was still chewing her French toast and egg-the only breakfast she had. Perhaps the only breakfast she will be having from now on.
In less than an hour, Minerva and Rhea-her mother-were now driving towards the hospital to which the ob-gyn was waiting.
***
The hospital's scent was new to her senses. She felt like puking on the very floor of the elevator. Or was it just because she was pregnant?
Either way, the meeting with her ob-gyn was absolutely no problem. It's about the bills that made her head totally ache.
"What's the price of you helping me?"
Her mother briefly looked at her from head to toe before answering. "Nothing."
Nothing. That was all Rhea said throughout the entire time. From the very moment they stepped in the hospital to the time that her check-up was finished, her mother's mouth was wholly shut-as if she wittingly sewed it shut to avoid conversation with her.
Minerva cleared her throat before speaking again...alone this time.
"Well, if that's the case, I will still pay you as soon as I find a new job. I resigned from the high school I was teaching the moment I got pregnant."
"The moment you got pregnant? Or the moment you were about to give the pussy between your legs to a man named Derrick?" Her mother's voice was thundering in the midst of the four narrow walls of the elevator.
It took all the remaining strength that was left of her in slapping her blonde-haired mother. She was entirely insulted by that tone, by her words. She said there was no price in helping her during her pregnancy. Yet, it seems that a liberated scold was the price she silently chose to offer Minerva.
To be honest, she could take her down and choke her to death into the very lustrous floor of the elevator if it wasn't the fact that her words somehow resonates verity, that there is actually truth in her words. Her mother left her for another man on the verge of her father's terminal illness. That's how maleficent her mother was and is probably until now.
Minerva absolutely gave it all up just to live under the same roof with Derrick, who happens to be six feet below the ground now. And her mother will just insult them for that, insult her for that..
'That is why they always say to never give your entirety to someone, even if you love the person more than you do to yourself.' Minerva's own words bounced into the walls of her mind.
Her fists are still clenched, ready to punch her own gold-digger mother who left her own family for another man-for an asshole billionaire.
She was, in fact, the first to witness them having sex in her own parents' room. Imagine banging your other man in the bed you and your husband shared. That was wholly awful, unlawful, and definitely inhumane. That is also the reason why Minerva chose to stay with her father aside from the fact that she cannot bear to gaze at the eyes of her mother's man-who also looks at her lustfully, as if inviting her to be fucked as well.
Her attention drew back to her mother as the elevator opened, signalling the arrival to the basement to where her mother's car parked.
"It's not that, Rhea. I already had planned on resigning beforehand. Besides, me and Derrick planned my pregnancy anyway."
That was a lie. Well, she would rather lie than to be shamed more by this bitch who calls herself her mother. That is also the reason why she addresses her in her own name rather than calling her a mother. A mother is such an honourable and glorified title and the blonde woman in front of her doesn't even deserve a second to be called one.
Minerva was about to say more when, in the corner of her eye, she spotted the man that she had always prayed she would never meet or see or smell again.
It was her mother's husband-Rhea's sex-loving man.
âWhere are you taking me?â I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he put me down. Before I could blink, the huge white wolf shifted before me. The man who now stood in its place was handsome, muscular⊠and completely naked. * * * Elaine Rutherford has spent her entire life wishing for an escape from her dysfunctional family. But when her wish is granted in the form of being offered up as a human sacrifice to an elite village of werewolvesâŠit wasnât exactly what she had in mind. Every leap year, Stellaâs Soul receives a mortal woman from the neighbouring city of Moonburn, just beyond the wall, to bear children for the chosen werewolf. And it just so happens this year is a leap year. On the next full moon, Elaine is set to be married to the handsome werewolf billionaire, Tyler Jane Moonstorm. Despite her doubts, she still hopes that this will be a better life than sheâs used to. At least thatâs what she thoughtâŠ
âI was looking for a man named Zarion, but I ended up here.â Most of them gasped when I uttered Zarionsâ name. âDonât mention that name because itâs cursed!â someone hissed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. âWhy? "He's the Alpha of this pack. He was banished because he didn't want to take the position. Rumour says that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off. "And?" I swallowed. "Kill her. He wants to kill his mate." *** Alpha Zarion is on a quest to find his mate and kill her because he despises the idea of a mating bond. During a winter storm, he met Cassidy Bentley who saved him from death. He knows he has no time to waste but Zarion was curious about her, deliriously wanting every inch of her skin and touchâŠuntil he found out that the girl is mated to his number one rival, Alpha Brandon. Alpha Brandon rejected Cassidy because sheâs a humanâwhich he greatly despises. She eventually started getting over him, pouring out her love to Alpha Zarion who obsessively wants her. During the night Zarion and Cassidy will mark and mate, the girl's first mate finally comes to his senses and goes to find her. But the first mate already found Cassidy in another man's arm, in his stepbrotherâs arms, who was just about to mark herâŠ
âWhatever happens, no matter if you turn the world upside down, I will still be a SlaveâŠand I have long accepted it.â Ansel snorted. âAnd what if I tell you that you are the long-lost daughter of an Alpha, will you stop looking down at yourself and pitying your ass?â Sasha leaned closer, her breathing heavy and cold. âIt is not you who lost both of her parents in a year, sleeps after midnight, and whipped by Alpha Cal anytime he wants. Because, Beta Ansel, you are not me. And I am not YOU!â The barnâs doors burst open, revealing a muscular man in a tattered black vest. Beneath that is nothing but his gleaming, sweaty naked chest. *** Wolfless and helpless. Those words utterly describe Sasha Forster, whose blood smells that of a Slave. Until the ruthless Alpha Alain of the Shadow Rose Packâthe one who has an unbreakable vow with her mother: to marry Sasha and have an heir with herâsaves her from her packâs tyrannical leader, Alpha Cal. But Sasha Steeleâs heart has already begun to beat for her childhood friend and her packâs new Alpha, Ansel. Whom will she choose now between the two Alpha? Will she choose her heart over her mind? Or will she choose responsibility over love?
Wisdom Weisz lost her house and ten-month-old daughter in a fire in a single day. And whatâs worse is that on the same day, her husband was making love to her best friend in the latterâs apartment without paying any sort of remorse for her. Frustrated, she was left jobless and spent her remaining money in a luxury hotelâs bar. With destiny as unpredictable as ever, she met the billionaire in the bar who she already came across at various moments of her life. The man offered her a job called, âWife for Hireâ, meaning she will be his wife without any emotional attachments. If she accepts, the billionaire will pay her upfront with a hundred thousand dollars in her bank in just a blink of an eye. Wisdom eventually accepts as she deemed this as an opportunity for revenge to her former husband and best friend. As whirlpool of emotions stirred and a web of conflicts weaved, Wisdom will soon find out that this job was not easy as she thought as her heart begins to fall for the man who had employed her to be his hired wife.
Rozelyn found out she is a vampire when she turned eighteen. To make matters worse, her stepmom is secretly a vampire as well and Cyrill, her stepmom's adoptive son, is a werewolf behind the shadows. As she live the life of being a vampire, several people had come for herâincluding the infamous Blood Mistress, a witch who hunts vampires and werewolves. Rozelyn become more fascinated with the vampire life, especially when she found out that sex plays a huge role in a vampire's everyday living and it acts like blood: once they tasted it, they will crave for it even more. Will Rozelyn be able to voice out her secret love to Cyrill without risking the familial relationship they have built for years? Or will she watch her loved ones perish due to her identity as the most powerful vampire to ever live? Amidst all these, only one thing is certain: Blood is thicker than waterâeither literally or figuratively.
Olivia White replaced her sister to be engaged to Vincent Barton. She thought that the one she married would be a disabled man with notorious reputation, while to her surprise, Vincent is actually very handsome with great figure. Whatâs more, he treats her so well that he tends to satisfy all her re
When they met again, Jason cast aside his paranoia and pride, warmly embracing Chelsey. "Please, come back to me?" For three years, she had been his secretary by day and his companion by night. Chelsey had always complied with his requests, like an obedient pet. However, when Jason declared his plan
Kayley returned to Brayden's side for the sake of her dancing career. By day, they were step-siblings. By night, they were lovers. As her feelings deepened, she came to realize that she was a mere substitute for his lost love. They broke up. Kayley reinvented herself and became a beloved star. Seei
After a passionate night, Verena left some money and wanted to leave, but was held by her companion. "Isn't it your turn to make me happy?" Verena, always disguising herself as ugly, slept with her fiance's uncle, Darren, in order to escape her engagement with her unfaithful fiance. Darren had res
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heav
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was de
Chapter 1 Greeting Nightmare...Again
01/07/2022
Chapter 2 The Mysteriously Familiar Man
01/07/2022
Chapter 3 A Surprise of Secrets
01/07/2022
Chapter 4 Young, Alone, and Broke
01/07/2022
Chapter 5 A Look into the Past
01/07/2022
Chapter 6 A Big, Big Realization
01/07/2022
Chapter 7 Safe Place
01/07/2022
Chapter 8 On Top of the World
01/07/2022
Chapter 9 Cravings
01/07/2022
Chapter 10 Of Mice and Men
01/07/2022
Chapter 11 Mother
01/07/2022
Chapter 12 And I am Yours
01/07/2022
Chapter 13 Definition of Love
01/07/2022
Chapter 14 First Love Never Die
01/07/2022
Chapter 15 Mariella
01/07/2022
Chapter 16 The Stepmother
01/07/2022
Chapter 17 A Couple in the Mirror
01/07/2022
Chapter 18 A Father like No One
04/07/2022
Chapter 19 Love like Game
04/07/2022
Chapter 20 A Scorching Man
04/07/2022
Chapter 21 A Slight Argument
07/07/2022
Chapter 22 Gyzell
07/07/2022
Chapter 23 Confession
07/07/2022
Chapter 24 Typhoon Minerva
12/07/2022
Chapter 25 Cyrene
12/07/2022
Chapter 26 The Young Vow
12/07/2022
Chapter 27 I Promised
12/07/2022
Chapter 28 An Epic Walk Out
12/07/2022
Chapter 29 Enchanted
19/07/2022
Chapter 30 Another Pregnant Woman
19/07/2022
Chapter 31 Queerly in Love
19/07/2022
Chapter 32 Kevin
19/07/2022
Chapter 33 The Story of Gyzell
23/07/2022
Chapter 34 And She Will Do Everything
23/07/2022
Chapter 35 Marry Me
23/07/2022
Chapter 36 A Girl named Lyla
25/07/2022
Chapter 37 Girl on Fire
26/07/2022
Chapter 38 Blood is Thicker
27/07/2022
Chapter 39 A Thorn in the Heart
27/07/2022
Chapter 40 The Biggest Gift
31/07/2022