the thorn birds by colleen mccullough

Celia grew up in an orphanage. After being reunited with her family, her mother passed away during a bitter divorce. The orphan girl she adopted, Nancy, turned out to be a matchmaker who accidentally bound Celia to her cold CEO boss, Henry. Haunted by childhood trauma, Henry was physically allergic to women, rendering his blind dates disastrous—until he met Celia and relentlessly pursued her. Mistaking his avoidance of others as disinterest in women and fearing their professional ties, Celia fled and even tried to quit. They forged a marriage pact to cure his condition, but their fragile bond was sabotaged by Celia's stepsister. With Nancy's schemes and Henry's grandmother's support, their relationship deepened. When Celia's childhood friend returned, declaring their love a "fake crush." Could their fragile bond survive?

Nine years ago, he promised, I'll take care of you until you grow up and marry.Nine years later, she said, It's not you—so it doesn't matter who I marry.She thought he only stayed out of duty, not knowing that behind his cold facade is a love beyond measure.

Sarah Young had a crush on Zain Xavier for seven years. Unexpectedly, she became his wife, and everyone laughed at her for going from rags to riches. However, she ignored them and only cared that Zain was finally hers. When they got married, she didn't care if he didn't love her now. She was confident he would fall in love with her in the end. However, it soon became boring as Zain was never interested. Sarah felt that she was rich, pretty, and had amazing curves. Why should she waste her time on a cold robot like Zain? Immediately after coming to her senses, she slammed the divorce papers before Zain. After that, they would both go on different paths. Zain could hit the high road while she had fun with young, handsome men. After the divorce, Zain often found his ex-wife's scandals on the trending list. Last night she was captured having dinner with the new rich in xx tech company, and today she was building a new "love nest" with a handsome internet celebrity??? Zain threw his phone away and cursed, "Fuck with this love nest! That's my woman!" To that, Sarah, who was enjoying life, replied, "Sir, who are you?" 

One day, while feeding fish, Yvette accidentally fell into the pond and discovered a life-shattering truth: She had no blood relation with her parents or her five brothers. She was nothing but the Stewart family's false heiress! Faced with the certainty of losing everything, Yvette decided to stop struggling altogether and just enjoy life before being kicked out. But when Harriet, the true heiress, finally returned, her brothers shielded Yvette behind them, pleading, "Harriet, let her stay.She's... not exactly sharp. It's too dangerous for her out there aloneOne day, while feeding fish, Yvette accidentally fell into the pond and discovered a life-shattering truth: She had no blood relation with her parents or her five brothers. She was nothing but the Stewart family's false heiress! Faced with the certainty of losing everything,Yvette decided to stop struggling altogether and just enjoy life before being kicked out. But when Harriet, the true heiress, finally returned, her brothers shielded Yvette behind them, pleading,"Harriet,let her stay.She's... not exactly sharp. It's too dangerous for her out there alone."

Karissa was the true heiress of the Beltran family, who had been lost and later found. However, she was then kidnapped by Ivy, the family's adopted daughter. In a bid to prove who their family truly cared about, Ivy set fire to the warehouse they were in. In her moment of peril, Karissa found that her parents and brothers chose to save Ivy, abandoning her to her fate. Just when her life hung in the balance, she saw Luis, someone she had once lived with, come to her rescue. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn three years earlier. This time, Karissa was determined to change the course of her life.

In her past life, Christie Reynolds made a fateful mistake in love, falling victim to a misjudgment of character that led to a tragic betrayal. Burned to death as a result, she gets a second chance at life through rebirth. Determined to right the wrongs of her past, she vows to marry the man who had courageously rushed into the fire to save her, even if he was known as a notorious playboy. Initially, she marries him out of deep gratitude, but after the wedding, she finds herself showered with an unprecedented level of affection. It seems she is going to be utterly and completely indulged!

Chloe Anderson will do anything to protect the orphanage she's been supporting—even if it means stepping into a world far beyond her reach. Lucas Davenport, a billionaire who despises gold-diggers more than anyone, never intended to marry, especially not someone like Chloe. Convinced she's after his wealth, Lucas hides his true identity. But the more time he spends with her, the deeper he falls. The catch? Chloe has one rule she’ll never break—she can't forgive lies.

A talented but poor woman finds out her boyfriend cheated on her during an interview. Disappointed, she agrees to a fake engagement with the powerful CEO. Surprisingly, he makes it real and treats her lovingly. Together, they expose the cheaters, leading her to unexpected success. She triumphs over challenges, singing her way to victory.

In high school, Thorn and his boyfriend Jett had their intimate video secretly recorded and leaked by the school bully, Pitch. Unable to endure the public scrutiny and domestic violence, Jett took his own life. Driven by revenge, Thorn underwent a gender reassignment surgery and became Rose. She entered Pitch's life to get close to him. There, she discovered that Pitch's bullying actually came from his own twisted crush on Thorn. She also found out that Pitch's father-in-law, Thanes, was the one who had murdered her parents. During her pursuit of revenge, Rose saw her best friend, Jennis, brutally killed by Pitch's wife, Denee. Pitch also died when he took a bullet for Rose. Denee couldn't take this anymore, and she turned against her own father. In the end, Rose let go of her hatred. Guided by Jett's spirit, she found a way to move on with her life. This violent quest for revenge exposed a powerful family's drug crimes and ended a cycle of hatred that had plagued three generations.

On a rainy night, Emma Thorn crosses paths with Theo Gray while desperately trying to raise money for her brother's medical treatment. He's cold and wealthy; she's headstrong and unyielding. Their lives collide again and again—on campus, in the workplace, at glamorous banquets—each encounter sparking tension and unspoken feelings. But love is never simple. Emma mistakes Theo for a heartless flirt, while his jealousy drives him to test her at every turn. Will they break through the walls between them and find their way to true love?

Jennifer was originally a wealthy young lady who mistakenly thought Eldridge had helped her and fell in love with him. She concealed her identity, silently supporting the poor Eldridge. However, just as Eldridge was about to achieve success, he abandoned Jennifer to marry a wealthy young lady in order to advance his career. Eldridge and his family treated Jennifer as a thorn in their side, insulting and defaming her in front of numerous dignitaries. Once Jennifer understood the truth, she revealed her identity as the daughter of the richest man, humiliating Eldridge back. Eldridge and his despicable family regretted their actions and tried to appease her, but it was too late. Jennifer loudly proclaimed to the world that Eldridge was unworthy of her. At the same time, Herschel, the man who was engaged to Jennifer in their childhood, found her and spared no effort to seek revenge on her behalf, fulfilling his wish and eventually winning her heart.