the heart is deceitful above all things cast

Frankie, a musical prodigy, sacrificed everything to make his wife Sophie a star, only to be cast aside like a forgotten melody.Betrayed and broken, he died in obscurity—until he awoke twenty years in the past. This time, he'll harness his genius for himself, ascending to heights Sophie could never imagine. As his symphonies dominate the world, she and their kids, who have forgotten him, are left with a haunting question:Was their betrayal worth losing a legend?

Centuries-old tiger demon Mavis Hoover is cast down to the mortal realm by Heaven to experience the complexities of human emotions. She awakens to find herself reborn as a vicious stepmother. To complete her trial, she learns to become a virtuous wife and mother, fiercely protecting her children, earning money to support the family, and even rooting out traitors. Through her daily interactions with her family, the once-aloof tiger demon gradually begins to understand true human feelings and eventually finds genuine love with her husband, Leon Saul.

On my twentieth birthday, I had to choose a husband before all of Olympus. Everyone thought I would choose Apollo Olympion, the radiant heir of the sun god and the man I had loved for years. In my last life, I did. Because of me, he gained Zeus’s favor, sacred estates, and the right to rise above every divine heir. But after our marriage, he gave his sunlight to Celeste, the dying flower nymph my mother had taken in. When Demeter drove her away, Apollo blamed me. From then on, he hated me. He humiliated me, broke me, and finally let my sacred medicine become slow poison. I died carrying his child, on the night the spring inside me withered. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on my twentieth birthday. This time, I let them have each other. So before Zeus and every god in the Golden Hall, I chose Cassian Hadeion, the last blood of Hades. The cursed underworld prince everyone mocked. Apollo sneered. “Choosing him just to make me jealous?” I ignored him. Because in my last life, after I died, Cassian was the only one who avenged me. Then Apollo stepped closer and whispered, “Funny. That wasn’t who you chose last time.”

Donald Chester was tricked by his mother and younger brother's family into staying in the same household, leaving his wife and daughter at the mercy of the Chesters' abuse.He spent his life breaking his back in the family feed mill, only to be cast aside when it finally went public and made a fortune—dying in misery. Traveling back to 1988, Donald decisively split from the family and took his wife and daughter back to live in the countryside—only to discover that the fields and ponds are overrun with crayfish, a scourge to the villagers.Donald resolved to make a fortune for his own family by selling crayfish and forging a path to prosperity.

In the Yolham Kingdom, Empress Christine Shaw gains weight after childbirth and is cast aside by the emperor and even her own son, who has been manipulated by the cunning Noble Consort Rosalie Cooper. Humiliated and killed, Christine's body is taken over by a modern doctor determined to seek justice. Using modern technology and medical skills, she slims down, stuns the court with her beauty and talent, and rises as a respected empress. The emperor gradually falls for her and tries to win her back,but Christine wants nothing to do with him. In the end, she chooses freedom and sets off to explore the world with the grand emperor.

David Ashcroft has spent his life training on Tempest Peak under a master who turns out to have one very specific weakness: he needs three million for renovations and isn't above bending the truth to get it. Conned off the mountain and broke, David answers what looks like a generous job listing and finds himself face to face with Aria Blackwood, a CEO who has just invented something powerful enough that foreign interests have put a bounty on her head. David neutralises the first assassination attempt almost by accident. He's hired on the spot. When a rival moves in under the pretense of romance to steal her technology, David dismantles the scheme in public.The rival is not gracious about it.

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.

Louise Jones was engaged to Kendall Patterson until Quinn Thompson lured him away with promises of godhood, ultimately destroying the entire Jones family.Consumed by vengeful fury,Louise storms the Heaven seeking justice, only to be cast down by the gods themselves. In despair, she leaps into the Styx river and awakens to her true identity—the demon god Taella. Together with her companion, she attempts to awaken Girgyn, but they're hunted by the gods and forced to flee into Girgyn's dreamscape. When Quinn and Kendall pursue them into the dream realm, their unresolved obsessions backfire and actually help awaken Girgyn. The three great demon gods—Taella,Girgyn, and Rhys—reunite at last, striking terror into the divine realm.

Louise Jones was engaged to Kendall Patterson until Quinn Thompson lured him away with promises of godhood, ultimately destroying the entire Jones family.Consumed by vengeful fury, Louise storms the Heaven seeking justice, only to be cast down by the gods themselves. In despair, she leaps into the Styx river and awakens to her true identity—the demon god Taella. Together with her companion, she attempts to awaken Girgyn, but they're hunted by the gods and forced to flee into Girgyn's dreamscape. When Quinn and Kendall pursue them into the dream realm, their unresolved obsessions backfire and actually help awaken Girgyn. The three great demon gods—Taella,Girgyn, and Rhys—reunite at last, striking terror into the divine realm.

Cast out by his own family as useless, Justin Lowe opens a supermarket in the apocalypse and staffs it entirely with S-rank anomalies. His monsters clock in, follow orders, and keep the shelves stocked while human survivors trade hexcoins for goods that shouldn't exist: prehistoric snacks, high-tech weapons, supplies from no known supply chain. Each transaction upgrades the store. Each upgrade unlocks something stranger. The anomalies are terrifying everywhere except inside Justin's shop, where they are, inexplicably, perfectly obedient. Dragged repeatedly into the power struggles and crises of the survivor world, he navigates each one with wit and nerve rather than force. In the end, it isn't a weapon or an army that defeats the cosmic evil bearing down on what's left of humanity. It's a commercial contract, and the man who signs it becomes the world's last savior.

Finally, I've returned home from my business trip that has lasted for half a year. As soon as I step through the front door, my wife, Lila Hickman, rushes toward me eagerly. With anticipation glinting in her eyes, she tells me that she wants a baby.The sudden request makes my heart sink, leaving me with thoughts of doubt swirling in my head. After all, Lila and I have been leading a long-distance relationship for such a long time.Since I can't stay by her side all the time, it's only inevitable that I start being paranoid about her intentions.So, I've secretly installed hidden cameras at home. After that, I lie to Lila, claiming that I need to go on another impromptu business trip due to my company's sudden arrangements.Having checked into a room in a hotel across from my home, I start digging up Lila's secret via the live camera feed on my phone.

Finally, I've returned home from my business trip that has lasted for half a year. As soon as I step through the front door, my wife, Lila Hickman, rushes toward me eagerly. With anticipation glinting in her eyes, she tells me that she wants a baby.The sudden request makes my heart sink, leaving me with thoughts of doubt swirling in my head. After all, Lila and I have been leading a long-distance relationship for such a long time.Since I can't stay by her side all the time, it's only inevitable that I start being paranoid about her intentions.So, I've secretly installed hidden cameras at home. After that, I lie to Lila, claiming that I need to go on another impromptu business trip due to my company's sudden arrangements.Having checked into a room in a hotel across from my home, I start digging up Lila's secret via the live camera feed on my phone.

In a calculated move to align herself with the illustrious Grey family, Baird Grey's former lover, Muriel Will, drugged him. However, her plan backfired when Baird eluded her trap and found himself slept with Tess Yule. Fearing exposure, Muriel bribed Ken Aly to falsely claim responsibility for what happened. Unaware of the deception, Tess brought forth a set of quadruplets, only to have three of them callously discarded by Muriel, while the remaining child, Joy, was placed under Ken's guardianship. For seven long years, Ken deceived Tess, exploiting her trust until, upon his promotion, he heartlessly cast her aside and seized her new home. Luckily, in a twist of fate, Tess's act of kindness towards Baird's grandfather led to a reconnection with Baird. In this unexpected reunion, she made a startling realization: the one she had tirelessly sought for years had been a constant presence in her life.

In a calculated move to align herself with the illustrious Grey family, Baird Grey's former lover, Muriel Will, drugged him. However, her plan backfired when Baird eluded her trap and found himself slept with Tess Yule. Fearing exposure, Muriel bribed Ken Aly to falsely claim responsibility for what happened. Unaware of the deception, Tess brought forth a set of quadruplets, only to have three of them callously discarded by Muriel, while the remaining child, Joy, was placed under Ken's guardianship. For seven long years, Ken deceived Tess, exploiting her trust until, upon his promotion, he heartlessly cast her aside and seized her new home. Luckily, in a twist of fate, Tess's act of kindness towards Baird's grandfather led to a reconnection with Baird. In this unexpected reunion, she made a startling realization: the one she had tirelessly sought for years had been a constant presence in her life.

I go into business with my childhood friend, Ian Ziegler. The business is a success, earning 1.2 million dollars in profit. Ian gives me my share—a whopping 5,000 dollars. Noticing my dissatisfaction, Ian puts his arm around my girlfriend, Nina Foster, and tosses the keys to his Bentley onto the table. "What, is five grand too little for you? Fine. Since you're so broke, I'll give you a chance to turn things around for yourself. There's going to be a soccer game tonight. We're both going to place our bets. If you win, you can get all 1.2 million, plus my car. "But if you lose, your girlfriend's mine. You'll also have to get on your knees and lick my shoes right here in front of everyone." Everyone else in the room cackles gleefully, eager to watch me humiliate myself. Smirking, I nod. "Sure. I'll take that bet." These people have no idea that five years ago, I'd single-handedly taken down the Northwest Aravian illegal soccer betting circuit. I'd set a trap for a match-fixing syndicate, beating the crooks at their own game. I'd walked away from that life after that. But now, Ian has seriously decided to challenge me to a soccer bet?

Clare was the woman Axel begged and coaxed for—writing 99 love letters—before finally winning her hand in marriage. By their fifth year,however, Axel grew restless and began spending time with a young nurse. The girl, Emma, came from a poor family yet carried herself with quiet pride. When she firmly rejected the black card Axel offered,declaring she would never be anyone's kept woman, he became obsessed. Axel started appearing around Emma more and more,drawing the attention of all their friends, while briefly forgetting the wife he had once courted with 99 heartfelt letters. Clare neither cried nor argued. Instead, each time Axel broke her heart, she burned one of those letters. And when the last of the 99 was reduced to ashes, it would mark the day she left him for good.

In my previous life, my parents doted on my frail, sickly younger sister.For her sake, they chose a hawk beastman willing to settle in a human city as her husband.Me? They cast me into the deep sea,marrying me off to a giant shark beastman.When the apocalypse came and torrential rains drowned every human city, my parents and sister were left clinging to a rotting plank, adrift on the endless ocean.I couldn't bear to watch them die. With my giant shark husband, I dragged them down into the deep sea to safety.But resentment festered. Seeing me live comfortably while my shark beastman hunted day after day, my parents grew furious that my sister's life paled in comparison to mine. In their jealousy, they laced the fish we ate with poison and killed me.Now, given another chance at life,they've decided my sister should marry the giant shark beastman instead.My biased parents believe she will finally enjoy the blessings they once denied her.But what they don't know is this: after the cataclysm, fish become scarce. And a giant shark… does not survive on scraps. He needs flesh.

The doctor said I only had three days left to live. Acute liver failure. My only hope was an experimental clinical trial. It was extremely risky, but had the faintest sliver of a chance to survive. But my husband, David, gave the last available spot... to my adopted sister, Emma, also my daughter’s godmother. Her condition was still in its early stages. He said it was the "right decision," because she “deserved to live more.” I signed the papers to forgo treatment and took the high-dose painkillers prescribed by the doctor. The cost? My organs would shut down, and I would die. When I handed over the jewelry company I’d poured my heart into, along with all my designs, to Emma, my parents praised me, saying, “Now that’s what a good big sister should do.” When I agreed to divorce David so he could marry Emma, he said, “You’ve finally learned to be understanding.” When I told my daughter to call Emma ‘Mom,’ she clapped her hands and said, “Emma is such a gentle and kind mother!” When I gave all my assets to Emma, everyone in the family thought it was only natural. No one noticed anything was wrong with me. I’m just curious. Will they still be able to smile when they find out I'm dead?