what was the american dream

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.

Helen Croft was betrayed by her childhood sweetheart Alan Blake and her best friend Lisa Ruth. Her mother died because of it. After the divorce, she had nothing, so she left for Monaland and sold paintings on the street.There she met Tony Rusk, who had loved her quietly for years. His love and care gave her a new life.Five years later, she returned. Seeing her dressed simply, her ex-husband and Lisa mocked her, saying she must have married badly. Calmly, Helen revealed that her husband was the richest man in Amia City. The people who once humiliated her were instantly speechless.

For seven years, Naomi Stone loves Ethan Ward quietly and completely and gets cold indifference in return. She tells herself patience is enough. It isn't. The breaking point arrives on her birthday, when she watches Ethan and his daughter shower warmth and celebration on another woman without a second thought.Something in Naomi goes still. She files for divorce, walks out without a scene, and throws herself into building a life that is entirely her own. She turns out to be remarkably good at it. Only then, when she is no longer waiting by the door, do Ethan and his daughter suddenly remember every good thing about her they never bothered to acknowledge while she was there.

Joanna, the only daughter of wealthy Spencer family, was abandoned by her grandmother who favored boys. After losing her memory, she was raised by a fishing village elder. By a twist of fate, she joined Spencer Group, where misunderstandings led to her regaining her memory and reuniting with her family.

While the criminal was brutally killing me, my dad, the head of the criminal investigation division, and my mom, the chief forensic pathologist, were attending my sister Lily Lambert’s match. In a bid for revenge, the criminal, who had once been captured by my dad, cut out my tongue and used my phone to call him. My dad only said one thing before hanging up. "No matter what’s going on, Lily’s match is the top priority today!" The criminal sneered, "Seems I’ve kidnapped the wrong person. I thought they would love their biological daughter more!" At the crime scene, my parents were shocked by the brutal state of the body and condemned the cruelty of the killer. However, they did not realize that the horrifically mutilated corpse was their own daughter.

Born into wealth as a corporate puppet, Leah conceals her icy brutality beneath a facade of gentleness. To escape a toxic engagement and her controlling family, she plots a murder. When Shelly—a desperate underground fighter she once saved—crashes back into her life,drowning in gambling debts, Leah makes her a deal: become her obedient "dog." At first, Leah sees Shelly as a toy, but in this game of control and surrender, this sharpest blade becomes her only weakness. What begins as mutual exploitation spirals into an obsession that could destroy them both.

Lyra Donovan, wealthy heiress and Aurenya Arts Academy graduate, joins her father's corporation at her parents' request. Orion Harding, her childhood companion whose family has long-standing ties with the Donovans, intends to marry her. After Luna engineers a car accident killing her own parents, she manipulates her way into being adopted by the wealthy Donovans. While working alongside Lyra and plagiarizing her artistic ideas, Luna secretly plots to eliminate Lyra and claim everything, including Orion. But fate intervenes with a second chance: Lyra is reborn.

Before her divorce, the desperate Raegan Sharp shared one devastating night with a stranger. Months later, forced into marriage with the city's most feared man, she learned he was the father of her child, the same man from that night. As she considered ending the pregnancy, she remained unaware that he had spent ten years silently orchestrating their reunion.

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.

Military doctor Donna Healy dies suddenly and gets reborn in the wartime era as a general's daughter. Honoring her engagement, she marries Commander Stevie Garrison, only to get abandoned on their wedding night for his mistress, the cunning Gloria Carpenter. Having seen life and death in her previous life, Donna just laughs coldly at this joke of a marriage. A scumbag and his manipulative mistress? Perfect match! Saves her the headache of dealing with them. She never wanted this arranged marriage anyway, and now that the masks are off, she's finally free. Whoever wants this miserable life can have it—she's out!

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.

Jane fell in love with Cillian at first sight and married him, though he was believed to bring her misfortune. She thought her secret crush had finally come true, but Cillian's heart belonged to Melanie, someone he couldn't have. Jane hid her feelings and worked hard to make the most of her marriage while paying off her parents' debts. After Melanie returned, she repeatedly provoked Jane, leading Jane to decide to divorce.

Monica Chester once foolishly trusted Hugo Shields and his daughter Julia, neglecting her own child, Sophia. Julia's schemes left Sophia disabled, and in the end Monica was betrayed, imprisoned by the Shields family, and died in despair. But when Monica wakes up in 1980,she severed her ties with the Shields, devoted herself to protecting Sophia, and used her sewing skills and past-life experience to rebuild their lives. With the support of a wealthy livestock breeder, she and her daughter found happiness—while the Shields family finally paid the price.

The talented young basketball player Henry Kirby was guaranteed a spot in the national team by his high school. However, on the eve of his enrollment, he was brutally assaulted and left disabled by Gideon Johnson,his mother's adopted son. Gideon's motive was to seize the guaranteed spot for himself. The mother, who had always favored Gideon, deliberately delayed Henry's treatment to ensure Gideon could take his place in the national team. Upon learning this devastating news while confined to his hospital bed, Henry was utterly heartbroken.

This story follows a naive yet kind-hearted American girl who travels to Russia in search of her husband, only to discover he is a notorious playboy. Stranded and endangered in a foreign land, she is rescued by a Russian general. Through their growing interactions, her fear of him gradually transforms into admiration and affection. However, in an unexpected twist, the Russian general she falls for turns out to be the father of her deceitful ex-husband. Where will their forbidden love lead them?

Valentina, an American girl who just graduated from college, thought she could start a new chapter in her life, but she didn't expect to find disaster for the whole family because of her brother's gambling debts. They have offended the mafia Romano family. In order to prevent her brother from being killed by the mob, Valentina has to agree to marry Alessandro, the head of the Romano family. After a dramatic wedding, Valentina is placed in Romano's mansion as a "canary", but she is always looking for a chance to escape. After receiving a death threat, a terrified Valentina makes a secret escape plan with the help of Alessandro's cousin, but even she doesn't realize that she's fallen in love with Alessandro.

Julian Ford's lifelong dream was to marry Quinn Neal. Finally, he made his dream come true one day, and the cool billionaire turned into his wife's most devoted follower. But the woman he adored was not just his wife. She was also a miracle doctor, a design genius, a legendary hacker. Every day uncovered a new identity, and he loved every second of it. Welcome to the sweet, surprising married life of this power couple!

Theo Lynn is a hardworking student trapped in a city where competition is brutal. He only ranks twentieth, but in the capital—where exams are easier—he'd be number one.He often dreams he was switched at birth and belongs there instead. Then one day, the dream comes true. Returning to his biological family, Theo faces rejection from his stepbrother. But he doesn't care—he has only one goal: to get into his dream university.