breaking even

To prevent the merfolk from being slaughtered, I decided to go ashore and seduce my childhood friend Cyrus, who had become the Alpha King. He still loved me deeply, and we spent three passionate days and nights together in bed. Waking up from a haze of pleasure, I hadn't even had the chance to rejoice before a corrosive elixir was dunked over my head. Listening to my pained wails, Cyrus smirked. "So even an immortal mermaid can feel pain, too? "Well, this is just a taste of what's to come if you don't tell me where my parents are!" Yes, he was convinced that the merfolk were behind his parents' disappearance. From then on, I was forced to watch him flirt with his mistress, Emily; had to extract my mermaid pearl to help heal her body; was forced to dance barefoot to entertain Emily so that she could sleep… Cyrus hated every fiber of my being, yet always held me tenderly in his arms whenever I was on the brink of death, carefully feeding me medicine. Sometimes, he was cruel. "Do you think I'll go easy on you just because I love you? Quick, continue torturing her!" Sometimes, he was gentle. "Can't you be good and tell me where my parents are?" Silently, I endured his twisted love without a word. Soon, however, these days would come to an end, and I wouldn't have to keep that secret any longer. After all, a mermaid who did not return to the sea after three years on land… Would turn into seafoam. And now, there were only three days until my time was up.

Sophie Quinn, from an ordinary family, dated Spencer Xavier, heir to a wealthy family, for nearly three years. After graduation, his mother's interference and Zoe Sanders' schemes indirectly caused her father's death. Heartbroken, Sophie quietly left with their dog.Four years later, Spencer reappears as her new boss and appoints her as his assistant. In public, he is a cold, untouchable CEO. In private, he relentlessly pressures her to explain why she disappeared. Though he claims it is revenge, he is always the first to protect her when she is in pain.When the truth is finally revealed, Spencer becomes her unwavering protector, even if it means standing up to his family.

After recovering, Heather planned to pretend to be blind and proposed to her boyfriend Darren, hoping to give him a surprise. However, Darren passionately kissed other girl right in front of her and even made a bet with his friends, asking someone else to take his place to keep her occupied while he enjoyed his freedom. Filled with grief and anger, Heather thought, "You're choosing a husband for me, is that it?" She threw herself into the arms of Alonzo, and demanded a kiss in front of him. Little did she know, Alonzo had long been deeply in love with her! In this game of power and dominance, who will come out on top? And who truly holds the upper hand?

Nathan Miller is the Miller family's long-lost legitimate son who, after being brought back to the wealthy household, faces only cold stares,abuse, and betrayal. His mother shows favoritism, his father remains indifferent, his sister treats him cruelly, and the adopted son Lucas Miller, who usurped his place, frames him at every turn and steals everything—his education, his dreams, even his life. However, fate grants him a second life as Ethan Parker, son of Riverton's wealthiest family. Armed with memories and hatred from his past life, he returns to high society as the Parker heir, vowing to make the Miller family pay!

After already becoming a god, Cailyn Shaffer undergoes her second ascension trial, but accidentally ends up in the body of Crownport’s most useless young lady. Her cheating fiance? She kills him. Her shameless sister? She beats her down. Her abusive parents? She destroys them! Anyone in this world who dares cross Cailyn will be wiped out with one strike of her sword! Everyone’s stunned when the “trash” young lady turns out to have incredible fighting skills and can even command magical beasts and fly! They say you can’t fight city hall, but Cailyn’s fists will knock your head clean off.

Emily Davis has never been in a relationship before. But for a chance to win $210,000, she teams up with her best friend of 24 years, Alex Carter, and pretends to be his ""friends with benefits"" on a steamy reality dating show. She thought she just had to fake it for the cameras. But from the very first night, Emily finds herself having to kiss—and even sleep in the same bed with—other male contestants like Noah Parker and Nathan Harris. For someone who's never been with a man before, this wild, provocative experiment is a whole new world. Can Emily keep her secret and make it to the end for the grand prize, or will her true self be exposed under all the heat?

Kyle Cooke believes he and Sara Wood are a loving married couple—five years of marriage as proof of their happiness.However, when he goes to the city hall to replace their coffee-stained marriage certificate, he’s shocked to discover the system shows him as “unmarried,” while Sara’s spouse is registered as another man—Noe Gibson. This discovery unveils a brutal truth: Kyle once caught Sara in an intimate moment with Noe, but she begged forgiveness claiming she was “looking for a stand-in,” even threatening suicide. After learning of her determination to “never let him find out,” Kyle’s heart dies completely. He decides to cancel his domestic identity, change his name, and disappear forever.

Nathan Miller is the Miller family's long-lost legitimate son who, after being brought back to the wealthy household, faces only cold stares,abuse, and betrayal. His mother shows favoritism, his father remains indifferent, his sister treats him cruelly, and the adopted son Lucas Miller, who usurped his place, frames him at every turn and steals everything—his education, his dreams, even his life. However, fate grants him a second life as Ethan Parker, son of Riverton's wealthiest family. Armed with memories and hatred from his past life, he returns to high society as the Parker heir, vowing to make the Miller family pay!

Kyle Cooke believes he and Sara Wood are a loving married couple—five years of marriage as proof of their happiness.However, when he goes to the city hall to replace their coffee-stained marriage certificate, he’s shocked to discover the system shows him as “unmarried,” while Sara’s spouse is registered as another man—Noe Gibson. This discovery unveils a brutal truth: Kyle once caught Sara in an intimate moment with Noe, but she begged forgiveness claiming she was “looking for a stand-in,” even threatening suicide. After learning of her determination to “never let him find out,” Kyle’s heart dies completely. He decides to cancel his domestic identity, change his name, and disappear forever.

Rex Palmer was a world-class computer tech titan. Because he had once been helped by Sandy Brook, he turned down numerous offers from big companies and stayed at Brook Group, developing the Loki System for a meager salary. Lena Mona, who worked at Mona Investment Firm, knew Rex's capabilities well and strongly pushed for an investment in Brook Group.However, Rex had a fierce conflict with Brook Group's manager, Justin Dutt, over a leave-of-absence issue. Sandy chose to side with Justin and even fired Rex. With Lena's help, Rex started anew and eventually crushed Brook Group in the field of artificial intelligence. Sandy deeply regretted her decision, but it was too late.

Emily Davis has never been in a relationship before. But for a chance to win $210,000, she teams up with her best friend of 24 years, Alex Carter, and pretends to be his ""friends with benefits"" on a steamy reality dating show. She thought she just had to fake it for the cameras. But from the very first night, Emily finds herself having to kiss—and even sleep in the same bed with—other male contestants like Noah Parker and Nathan Harris. For someone who's never been with a man before, this wild, provocative experiment is a whole new world. Can Emily keep her secret and make it to the end for the grand prize, or will her true self be exposed under all the heat?

After a car accident had left Mia with brain damage, she witnessed her disabled father cheating with their maid, Ruby Lewis. Mia told her mother, but no one believed her. Her father and Ruby called her a liar, and Ruby even pushed her, causing Mia to hit her head. However, the fall fixed Mia's brain. She tricked Ruby and her father into revealing their true, ugly selves. When the truth came out, her mother finally understood her mistakes and begged Mia to forgive her. But Mia was done with them. She walked away, ready to start a new life where she was finally free.

In a world overrun by feral beasts, Fred is framed and dumped by his girlfriend Rhea during the summoning ceremony. He got expelled, left with nothing but an F-Rank Shadow Cat. The next moment, he awakens the God-Tier Beast Master System. His Shadow Cat evolves into the God-tier Chomper, crushing Citybreakers in a single strike and suppressing Nationbreakers with ease. Even the legendary Void Devourer becomes his Guardian Beast Soul. Rhea is hailed as the greatest genius of the century,yet she has no idea the "loser" she cast aside has already become a Worldbreaker. Fred's goal has never been just to become the strongest.He aims to become a god.

"Queenie James lost her parents at a young age and was left to suffer under the cruel hands of her uncle and aunt. She managed to get into university—only to face new hardships due to her poverty and inability to speak.A chance encounter brought Harrison Fletcher, a cold and powerful CEO, into her life. Moved by her resilience, he stepped into her world and offered her a way out. In Harrison's world, Queenie found something she had never dared to hope for: care, respect, and a family that accepted her for who she was. As their bond deepened, she learned that even those without a voice could be heard—when someone truly listened."

The Smith family welcomed a pair of twins, and an expert claimed one a lucky star and the other a curse. He predicted that the lucky twin would become the top scholar in eighteen years. Their grandmother, valuing boys over girls, was certain that the elder brother, Joel Smith, was the fortunate one and tried to kill his sister. A kind maid, Ivy Lake, saved Zoe Smith, who was then raised as a servant in her own home. Years later, both siblings make three wishes, and soon, the Smith family becomes the richest in Halton. Their faith in Joel deepens, and Zoe suffers even harsher treatment—until the scholar's plaque arrives. To everyone's shock, the so-called cursed girl, Zoe Smith, is actually the real top scholar!

Jess Willis gets sucked into a novel set in the 1980s where she's the villainous ex-wife of a disabled big shot who dies early. She's stuck with a "villain system" that says she has to stir up drama and be awful to everyone before she can go home. Jess's like, "Play the villain? Hell no!" But then she's like, "Actually, you know what? Villains have way more fun!"She rolls up her sleeves and starts living her best chaotic life—except she doesn't know her whole family can hear her thoughts. The family grows closer than ever, and even her disabled husband recovers and becomes completely devoted to her!

Just because she was a helpless orphan, her mother-in-law insulted her, her husband had an affair with a rich girl, and even forced her to divorce and give him the house left by her mother! As she lay helpless on that rainy night, suddenly five men claiming to be her fathers appeared, one was a billionaire real estate tycoon, one was an international movie star, one was a world-renowned top doctor, one was a top scientist, and one was the leader of a global mercenary organization! Then she gradually learned the story of her parents. It didn't matter who her real father was, what mattered was that her fathers loved her and spoilt her, helped her get back at the bullies, and made her life smooth sailing from then on to the top of the world!

Jess Willis gets sucked into a novel set in the 1980s where she's the villainous ex-wife of a disabled big shot who dies early. She's stuck with a "villain system" that says she has to stir up drama and be awful to everyone before she can go home. Jess's like, "Play the villain? Hell no!" But then she's like, "Actually, you know what? Villains have way more fun!"She rolls up her sleeves and starts living her best chaotic life—except she doesn't know her whole family can hear her thoughts. The family grows closer than ever, and even her disabled husband recovers and becomes completely devoted to her!