death and regret

Skyler Reid spends three years being the kind of husband most people only read about. He cooks, he tends the house, he keeps the light on when his wife Ruby works late, he asks for nothing in return. She is a celebrated lawyer with a demanding career and he builds his entire life around making sure she never has to worry about coming home. It works, until it doesn't. When Ruby's first love Brandon Lowe resurfaces with a divorce case that needs handling,everything shifts. She pours herself into his affairs without question, and when Brandon frames Skyler with a flimsy accusation, she doesn't pause to ask for his side. She just turns on him. Skyler looks at the woman he has quietly loved and served for three years and realizes she has never once looked back at him the same way. He stops fighting for something that was never quite his and lets go. Only then, when the warmth is gone and the light is finally off, does Ruby understand what she had in her hands and chose not to hold.

Ten years ago, Sawyer Nixon pulled Megan Gray from the abyss,forged her into the sharpest blade in his arsenal, and welcomed her as the most docile lover by his side. He showered her with jewels and affection, leading her to believe this was love. He was the only light in her otherwise dim life. But when his long-lost love returned, he handed her a packet of poison, commanding her to ensnare another man. In that instant, she realized that after a decade of companionship, she was nothing more than a disposable tool. Her heart shattered in silence as she calmly accepted this final lesson: he had taught her to give up completely.

Ten years ago, Sawyer Nixon pulled Megan Gray from the abyss,forged her into the sharpest blade in his arsenal, and welcomed her as the most docile lover by his side. He showered her with jewels and affection, leading her to believe this was love. He was the only light in her otherwise dim life. But when his long-lost love returned, he handed her a packet of poison, commanding her to ensnare another man. In that instant, she realized that after a decade of companionship, she was nothing more than a disposable tool. Her heart shattered in silence as she calmly accepted this final lesson: he had taught her to give up completely.

After suffering aphasia from a car accident, Heather Phillips is devastated when her husband William Manning asks for a fake divorce to appease his mistress. Taking him at his word, Heather makes it real. Sebastian Hart, heir to the Hart Group, flies back immediately upon hearing the news and proposes to Heather. She leaves with him without looking back, leaving William filled with regret.

Sophia, the sole heiress of Porthaven's powerful Jason family, spent five years honoring her promise. Five years ago, to save Justin, the man she loved, she struck a deal with Director Cloud. While he worked to develop the cure, she took responsibility for caring for his grandson, Warren, and Warren's young son, Joey, and supporting the declining Cloud Group.Under her protection, the father, the child, and the company all thrived. Yet Sophia's sacrifices were erased. She was treated as nothing more than a nanny. When Warren's ex-wife Quinn returned, they hurt Sophia time and again. When the five-year promise ends, Sophia walks away without hesitation, taking back everything she gave. As Warren loses it all, the truth finally comes to light.

Sophia Sidney, a devoted housewife, believes patience and sacrifice can hold her family together—until one phone call shatters everything. Her husband, Liam Howell, is caught in a hotel scandal with his long-time first love, Candice Gosse. When Sophia rushes to his side, she is met not with remorse, but blame.Heartbroken and furious, Sophia demands a divorce. What truly destroys her, however, is realizing that the two children she raised with her own hands choose Candice over their own mother. In that moment, Sophia understands she has already lost her place in this family.She leaves the country, cutting all ties. Only after she's gone does Candice reveal her true face, and the children begin to miss the mother they once took for granted.But love has turned to ashes. This time, Sophia will never look back.

To save his collapsing company, Ray Shaw married the Lee family's heiress,Hannah, abandoning his fiancée, Quincy Channing, who loved his brother, Harry. When he returned triumphantly, Quincy came crying and begged him not to leave.

After suffering aphasia from a car accident, Heather Phillips is devastated when her husband William Manning asks for a fake divorce to appease his mistress. Taking him at his word, Heather makes it real. Sebastian Hart, heir to the Hart Group, flies back immediately upon hearing the news and proposes to Heather. She leaves with him without looking back, leaving William filled with regret.

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.

I was born broken. My Alpha mother was the one who branded me. She said emotion was a sin. A weakness. Especially for a werewolf. Especially for an Alpha’s heir. The day we were born, she clamped emotion-suppressing collars around our necks. Mine and my twin sister's. The slightest flicker of emotion, and the collar flashed red. My mother would then push the button, injecting me with a diluted "silver solution" to suppress my feelings. But my sister Cassia's collar? Always a calm, steady blue. Even when she shattered Mom's precious moonstone, it just pulsed gently. And me? I’d just whisper, "Mom, the thunder scares me," and my collar would erupt in a violent red. Then came the sting of silver poison burning through my blood.. I used to argue. But Mom always said the same thing. "The data doesn't lie. Pain is a teacher. This is for your own good." After thousands of these injections, I started to believe it, too. That I was born out of control. The night of the alliance's Moon Goddess Festival, Mom was taking my sister to the rooftop party. Something scared me during the day. The collar flashed red, and my mother started the punishment. But this time, the collar malfunctioned. It shot a dose a thousand times stronger into my neck. I collapsed on the carpet, begging, "Mother, the collar... it hurts so much... help me." My collar was flashing a frantic red. My mother just looked down at me, drenched in a cold sweat, and pressed the button for the maximum dose. "You'd lose control like this just for attention? You're a lost cause." She turned, took my sister, and slammed the door. I couldn't help but think, Mom must be right. The collar is red. It doesn't really hurt. I'm just being dramatic, looking for pity again. I'm sorry, Mom. In my next life, I'll be the perfect daughter you always wanted.

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

My stepsister falsely accuses me of causing her allergies to act up. My three brothers stuff me into the cramped cellar and chain the door shut. I pound on the door and beg them to let me out. My eldest brother, an outstanding businessman, snaps, "It's bad enough that you keep bullying Lori. How could you make her eat seafood when you know she's allergic to it? Isn't that just murder? Stay in there and reflect on your mistakes!" My second brother, an award-winning singer, and my third brother, a genius painter, scoff contemptuously. "It's unbelievable that someone as evil as you is making excuses to garner pity. You can stay in there and repent for your sins!" After that, they take our shuddering stepsister to the hospital. The oxygen in the cellar soon runs out, and it gets difficult to breathe. Ultimately, I die in there. My brothers only remember me three days later when they bring our stepsister back from the hospital. Unbeknownst to them, I've already died of asphyxiation.

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

The Bellaros border is in crisis, and Eloise Quimby volunteers for a political marriage. She has grown up with the crown prince, inseparable from him for ten years, yet now she leaves him behind. When he seeks to marry Camila Lowe instead of her, Eloise’s heart has already turned cold. The emperor names her Protector of the Realm, to wed in seven days—while the crown prince remains unaware…

Clyde Sullivan had lived as the cherished son of the Sullivan family until Miller's return exposed him as an imposter. When Miller framed Clyde for their grandfather's accident, the family turned their backs, condemning him to three years in a rehab center. Upon his release, his family treats him with indifference—Winona rejected him as a brother, Miller basked in triumph, Zack met him with blistering contempt, and even Yvette's fleeting sympathy couldn't override her allegiance to Miller. Bearing both physical scars and the burden of a prosthetic leg, Clyde came home to unrelenting condemnation. Sherry, a woman Clyde once adored but who is now close to Miller, breaks Clyde's heart. Trapped in a web of family betrayal and cruelty, Clyde found himself utterly alone, adrift in a sea of hostility with no compass to guide his future.

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

Yvette Queen, the hidden heiress of the prestigious Queen family, falls in love with Wendell Lewis, who's from a declining family. Without revealing her true identity, she secretly supports his family while his parents, unaware and looking down on her, push Wendell to marry into the wealthy Lane family. They send Wendell abroad with Sue Lane for further studies. Before leaving, Wendell promises Yvette that he will marry her upon his return. Four years later, however,Wendell comes back and announces his engagement to Sue. Seeing his true colors, Yvette has her family crush both the Lane and Lewis families. The backlash causes Wendell's mother to fall gravely ill. Desperate to secure a hospital director's treatment for her, Wendell seeks out Yvette to reconcile—only to discover she is the legendary Queen heiress. Realizing his mistake, Wendell turns against Sue, and the two betray each other, reaping what they sowed.Meanwhile, Yvette becomes the chairwoman of the Queen Group.

The Bellaros border is in crisis, and Eloise Quimby volunteers for a political marriage. She has grown up with the crown prince, inseparable from him for ten years, yet now she leaves him behind. When he seeks to marry Camila Lowe instead of her, Eloise’s heart has already turned cold. The emperor names her Protector of the Realm, to wed in seven days—while the crown prince remains unaware…