where does the saying dead ringer come from

At 20, single mom Holly Seth had to deliver food during her maternity confinement to support her son. A year earlier, Jack Blake had saved her from trouble at a school sodality. That accident brought them together. When Jack found out Holly had borne his son, he immediately took them both under his wing with utmost care, and the family of three lived happily ever after.

Rural-born Amelia Baker struggles as an intern, tormented by the director and harassed by her toxic family, until a fateful night with the aloof CEO, Daniel Wood, changes everything.After securing her permanent position, Amelia discovers she's pregnant with triplets and attempts to hide it. But the Wood family's unique physiological bond alerts Daniel to her secret.Once the ruthless CEO learns the truth, he shifts into devoted husband mode: shielding her from workplace schemes, confronting her family's exploitation, and unleashing the Wood family's full pampering power.What began as an accidental encounter blossoms into a love that defies hierarchy and heals old wounds.

Vertical superstars Tess Dinerstein and Lottie Guidi test their unbreakable friendship and discuss everything being a girlboss in the entertainment industry entails. From Shakespearean origins to modern day mantras (plus a surprise special guest), you won’t want to miss the insight these titans of vertical entertainment have to offer!

When my mind-link request had been ignored by my parents for the twentieth time, I went to the Werewolf Council, clutching the report on silver dust corrosion in my hand. “Hello. I’d like to renounce my pack identity—effective immediately.” Ten minutes later, my parents burst in, dragging my adoptive younger sister, Elsa, with them, panic written all over their faces. The door burst open with a bang, and my Beta father charged in like a storm. His fangs bared, claws twitching. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat craving attention! Stop this pathetic act. You’re an embarrassment to a Beta’s name!” My mother, a forensic specialist for the pack, immediately snatched the report from my hand. After a brief glance, she let out a cold sneer. “You faked this report just to get our attention? You’ve been a liar since you were a pup.” Elsa clung to both of them, tears in her eyes as she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Jenifer. It’s my fault for holding the shifting ritual. But please... don’t lie to our parents just to make them feel guilty!” Blood was still pouring from my nose, but I wiped it away calmly and stood tall before the werewolf councilors once more. “I haven’t had a real family for a long time. Please—remove all my personal records from the pack. I just don’t want my funeral—scheduled for three days from now—to be delayed.”

When my mind-link request had been ignored by my parents for the twentieth time, I went to the Werewolf Council, clutching the report on silver dust corrosion in my hand. “Hello. I’d like to renounce my pack identity—effective immediately.” Ten minutes later, my parents burst in, dragging my adoptive younger sister, Elsa, with them, panic written all over their faces. The door burst open with a bang, and my Beta father charged in like a storm. His fangs bared, claws twitching. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat craving attention! Stop this pathetic act. You’re an embarrassment to a Beta’s name!” My mother, a forensic specialist for the pack, immediately snatched the report from my hand. After a brief glance, she let out a cold sneer. “You faked this report just to get our attention? You’ve been a liar since you were a pup.” Elsa clung to both of them, tears in her eyes as she sobbed, “I’m sorry, Jenifer. It’s my fault for holding the shifting ritual. But please... don’t lie to our parents just to make them feel guilty!” Blood was still pouring from my nose, but I wiped it away calmly and stood tall before the werewolf councilors once more. “I haven’t had a real family for a long time. Please—remove all my personal records from the pack. I just don’t want my funeral—scheduled for three days from now—to be delayed.”

Thomas Powers loses a bet and starts dating Winnie Nelson, a working-class woman, pretending to be a poor young man dying of cancer. Winnie believes him completely. Even while pregnant, she works grueling jobs and even donates her bone marrow to raise money for his “surgery”. Devastated by the deception, Winnie gets into a car accident. Thomas believes Winnie is dead and is consumed by pain and guilt. But Winnie survives and gives birth to their daughter, Bailey Nelson, raising her alone. Five years later, Thomas discovers Bailey’s existence and resolves to make amends for his wrongs.

Professional male model Nathan Reed transmigrated three years ago into a world where humans and ghosts coexist. To survive, he returns to his old profession as a mortuary model for the dead. He even binds himself to multiple ghost wives just to stay alive. But an unexpected incident pulls him into a dungeon competing for national fortune, and the dungeon boss turns out to be one of his bound ghost wives.

On the day of their engagement, Liu Xu was handed over to someone else by her fiancé. Rong Yanyun, a handsome CEO who had waited for fifteen years, seized the moment in an instant.Sweet words flowed effortlessly from his lips, and he showed off her without restraint. Their love story became widely known. Later, that scumbag fiancé tearfully begged her to return.At that moment, she pulled out their marriage certificate and said, "Sorry, I'm already married."

In her previous life, Laura Hampton mistook a cunning woman for her closest friend and gradually fell into the web of lies spun by Angela Harrison. Cast aside by her family, she met a tragic end beneath Angela's car.This time around, Laura knows the truth: her childhood savior was never Angela. Seeing through Angela’s façade, she decisively steers clear of her traps—and discovers that Eric Pearson has been quietly watching over her all along, in both lifetimes.Slowly, Laura exposes Angela's true face to her parents, ultimately driving her out of the Hampton family and ensuring she faces the consequences she deserves.

On the day of their engagement, Liu Xu was handed over to someone else by her fiancé. Rong Yanyun, a handsome CEO who had waited for fifteen years, seized the moment in an instant.Sweet words flowed effortlessly from his lips, and he showed off her without restraint. Their love story became widely known. Later, that scumbag fiancé tearfully begged her to return.At that moment, she pulled out their marriage certificate and said, "Sorry, I'm already married."

In her previous life, Laura Hampton mistook a cunning woman for her closest friend and gradually fell into the web of lies spun by Angela Harrison. Cast aside by her family, she met a tragic end beneath Angela's car.This time around, Laura knows the truth: her childhood savior was never Angela. Seeing through Angela’s façade, she decisively steers clear of her traps—and discovers that Eric Pearson has been quietly watching over her all along, in both lifetimes.Slowly, Laura exposes Angela's true face to her parents, ultimately driving her out of the Hampton family and ensuring she faces the consequences she deserves.

Maisie Kent is betrayed by her boyfriend, Jerry Ford, and Gigi Smith, signing a contract that costs her life. Reborn at the moment of signing, she pretends to comply while secretly swapping the contract. When Gigi tries the same trick in public, the harm rebounds instantly. Unscathed, Maisie watches coldly—on the deadly contract now stands a name no one dares to provoke.

The female protagonist, Yetta Hobbes, appeared frail on the outside, but she had a complex inner world. She was the only seemingly ordinary person in her family. Her father, Ryan Hobbes, was a serial killer. Her mother, Joan Hobbes, was an expert in toxicology. Her brother, Eric Hobbes, harbored an unhealthy possessiveness towards his sister. The entire family concealed extreme antisocial personalities. Yetta had long been subjected to cruel bullying by classmates Lucy Wright, Sherry Nelly, and Belle Robert at school. Finally, one day, the three bullies volunteered to visit Yetta's home, unaware that they had already become prey...

I wheel myself into the birthday celebration that Wales Price has thrown for me. The atmosphere is originally lively, but a brief silence descends when everyone sees me. The guests are there for different purposes, but celebrating my birthday is not one of them. "Is that Mr. Price's crippled fiancée, Joey Hertza?" "Yeah, but the one he really loves is Anna Giovanni. I saw them kissing in a corner earlier." They use their wine glasses to block their mouths as they speak loudly. They think I'm still the crippled deaf I used to be. They don't know that I regained my hearing last week. I can hear every mocking comment they make. Meanwhile, Wales stands there and allows it to happen. He doesn't stop the guests from talking about me. He seems to have forgotten that I only ended up like this while protecting him. I shoved him away when the accident happened and got trapped underneath the car myself. When I was rescued, Wales swore to stay with me and care for me for life. It's only been three short years since then, but he's already changed. I receive a message on my phone. "Ms. Hertza, the lifelike corpse that you've ordered is now complete. Reply to this message with your confirmation, and your death-faking service will be immediately effective. We will send the corpse to your and Mr. Price's wedding in five days." I don't even hesitate as I reply with my confirmation. Enjoy your wedding, Wales.

Maisie Kent is betrayed by her boyfriend, Jerry Ford, and Gigi Smith, signing a contract that costs her life. Reborn at the moment of signing, she pretends to comply while secretly swapping the contract. When Gigi tries the same trick in public, the harm rebounds instantly. Unscathed, Maisie watches coldly—on the deadly contract now stands a name no one dares to provoke.

Natalie Jane, once dismissed as "stupid and malicious," awakens to find herself trapped in a scripted world. To save her adoptive grandfather,Beck Shaw, she defies fate, tearing up the original plot and returning to age 18. As she leads a rebellion against the script's rules, she entangles with the Shaw family's three masters: Greg, the cunning illegitimate son; Lance, her former tormentor;and Justin, her love-hate partner. Rewriting her grandfather's destiny, Natalie becomes the true love of all three men. With the power to choose her path, she decides to stay in the present, rewriting her own story.

Despised by his in-laws, Marshall leaves with his wife and daughter, only to reveal his true identity as Harrington Group’s new CEO. Facing betrayal and family rejection, he fights to reclaim his dignity and build a new life on his terms.

The female protagonist, Yetta Hobbes, appeared frail on the outside, but she had a complex inner world. She was the only seemingly ordinary person in her family. Her father, Ryan Hobbes, was a serial killer. Her mother, Joan Hobbes, was an expert in toxicology. Her brother, Eric Hobbes, harbored an unhealthy possessiveness towards his sister. The entire family concealed extreme antisocial personalities. Yetta had long been subjected to cruel bullying by classmates Lucy Wright, Sherry Nelly, and Belle Robert at school. Finally, one day, the three bullies volunteered to visit Yetta's home, unaware that they had already become prey...