rabbit

After three years abroad, Emma Fowler returned to her homeland and found herself sent to Nathan Tate's bed as a courtesan. Their night of passion revealed that Nathan didn't recognize her at all. He became utterly captivated by this new version of her. Emma chose not to reveal her true identity and instead sent him a discreet message, asking if the marriage promise he once made still held. "I've always seen you as a sister," he replied coldly. His words stung her heart. "Those promises were just to ease your mind while you were getting treatment abroad. We're done. Don't contact me again." Emma quietly turned off her phone, severing a decade of longing. Yet on the day she planned to leave, Nathan's eyes reddened as he knelt before her, pleading softly. "Emma... please, don't leave me. You said you'd marry me..." She shook off his grasp without hesitation. "You said I were like a sister to you.."

Sophie Wilson loved Daniel Carter for a lifetime. As she neared the end, Daniel held her hand, tears streaming down his face. She thought it would be a final confession of love. But then Daniel sighed, "Sophie, being your husband this lifetime was exhausting. I just want to live with Lily in Seaside Village as a plain fisher." In that moment, Sophie forgot how to breathe. The Lily he spoke of was the fisherwoman who found him years ago in Seaside Village. She lied, claiming to be his wife, and kept him hidden, living as a couple. When Sophie found him, Daniel, who had lived in poverty for so long, remembered everything. He didn't spare Lily Harvey a glance and returned with Sophie to the Carter family. He gave her a grand wedding, promising to stay by her side forever. But now, as Sophie lay dying, her husband told her he regretted it.

I chased after Jake Burton for eight years, only to break up with him when I saw he had saved his ex-girlfriend's contact as "Baby." Her name was Janet Flynn. "Just because I forgot to change the contact name?" I stared at Jake's mocking smile and nodded. His friends said I was narrow-minded and overreacted, but I just kept my gaze on Jake without saying a word. Jake's dark eyes seemed to be covered with frost. After a moment, he simply sneered, "Fine. Let's break up. Just don't come back to me and cry to plead with me to get back together." Everyone in the room erupted in laughter. I pushed open the door, clutched the pathology report in my coat pocket, and walked into the night. I had wanted to weave a beautiful dream for the last moments of my life. But I shouldn't force love. It was even more bitter than the medicine I took.

On Valentine's Day, I was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer, with less than a month left to live. As I was engulfed in confusion and panic, Sebastian Nash knelt before me with a pained expression, saying, "I'm sorry, Betsy. I've fallen in love with another woman." He then promised me seriously, "I haven't cheated on you. What I share with her is a deep emotional bond. We won't have sex, and my feelings and commitment to you remain unchanged. I will continue to fulfill my duties as your husband." Clutching the diagnosis report tightly, I managed to force out a few words, "Okay. I will let you be together." Sebastian was both surprised and worried as he embraced me, saying, "Betsy, don't leave me. I love her, but I love you more. Please don't be angry or make trouble with me." I gave a bitter smile, "I won't." As a dying person, there was nothing worth crying or fussing over.

Everyone in the city of Westrington knew that Claire Harrington, the youngest daughter the Harringtons found and brought back years ago, was the fiercest woman in town. Her husband, Gavin Fulton, wasn't just the only heir to Fulton Group—he was also the most sought-after surgeon in the entire city. They pampered Claire, let her run wild, and gave her everything she ever wanted. Her older brother, Graham Harrington, had her back at the company. He once swore publicly that the company would always belong to Claire, and he was just the one making money for her. The only one who ever encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone was Nina Harrington, the "wrong heiress" raised in Claire's place. Nina told her to be independent, to stop relying on others. Claire laughed it off, thinking Nina was just overthinking everything. Until the news hit—Nina had been stabbed in the Harrington Group underground garage. Claire rushed to call the one person she trusted most—Gavin. But the reply from the hospital shattered her. Gavin was in surgery... saving the man who'd attacked Nina. Even her brother Graham redirected all available medical staff to ensure the attacker survived. Claire screamed. She begged. She dropped to her knees, pleading with them to save her sister. But Graham simply ordered someone to restrain her. "Claire, calm down, would you? She's not even your real sister. Even if you lose her, you still have a husband and a brother who love you. But Marissa... she's different. And that man we're saving, he raised Marissa for over twenty years!"

In my fifth year as his Luna, I remained a virgin. Yet after my sister, married for three years without a child, was sent back to the tribe, Phillip Elliott suddenly suggested having a pup. My wolf always sensed his coldness. After deep thought, I decided to have a serious talk with him, but I overheard him speaking with his Beta. "Rosalyn injured herself saving me and can never bear pups. To secure her place as Luna in that tribe, we need an heir. I can't watch her suffer. Kaitlin's womb is better suited to carry the Alpha's bloodline. Once she bears a pup for Rosalyn, I'll compensate her for life and make her the true Luna, giving her my heir." So, I was just a womb to him. My chest felt ripped apart. Fine, I'd let them have their way. I returned to my foster parents, cutting all ties with Phillip. But why did the man who never loved me beg like a madman for my return?

At seventeen, Beatrixa Watson and her neighbor Maverick Fuller tasted forbidden fruit, hiding their romance from everyone. That day, she nervously held her homework, seeking his help. Her budding affection burned too brightly. He noticed her feelings and gently coaxed her to lift her skirt. "Don't be afraid. It won't hurt," he said. Her unease and resistance melted under his charming, tender smile. After that day, whenever Beatrixa visited him next door, his voice carried a teasing warmth. "I worked so hard helping you with your problems, Bae. How about a little reward for me?" Her cheeks flushed as she agreed. When passion took over, he always kissed her forehead. "Bae, you're so good. I really like you." He promised to go public with their relationship once she got into his university. But when she arrived at his house, clutching her acceptance letter with excitement, his careless, mocking voice stopped her cold. "The only one I care about is Bailee. Beatrixa's just the neighbor girl. If Bailee hadn't been abroad as an exchange student this past year, and if Beatrixa didn't look a bit like her, I'd never have been with someone as overweight as her. Now that Bailee's back, it's time to ditch this problem."

My husband was a world-renowned top animal trainer, running a famous exotic zoo. Even the fiercest beasts were as docile as cats in his presence. But on the day he took our son Jeffry to visit the zoo, the lion, which was his favorite, suddenly broke out of its cage and swallowed our boy whole. In the morgue, I held my son's mutilated body and cried until I fainted, while he rushed back to the zoo overnight to soothe the frightened lion. "Bethany, the little lion is usually so well-behaved. This was just an accident. Everyone has their own destiny. I am also very sad, but the past is gone. We must look forward." It wasn't until I saw on the surveillance that he was comforting the new female manager, whispering, "Cathleen, I'm not blaming you for not reporting the broken cage on time. Everyone in the zoo faces risks of injury; Jeffry just had bad luck." In that moment, I felt the blood in my veins freeze. It turned out that the person who caused our son's death was the father he admired the most. I turned off the surveillance and donated his prized little lion to the national zoo for free. Then, I sent my son's photo to my connections in the underground network, "Make them face the consequences."

For ten years I planned our dream wedding-over and over-while my CEO fiancé Kody Morgan found ways to miss every single one. Ever since Tonya Buckley, his childhood sweetheart, returned to the country, my wedding had become a ticking time bomb. She caused a scene on the eve of my wedding, and Kody always stood me up. This last time, Tonya cut her finger, and a few drops of blood spilled dramatically. Kody anxiously ran red lights, risking everything to rush her to the ER, insisting the doctor check her carefully. Meanwhile, I faced the guests' derisive stares and received only Kody's dismissive excuse. "Does it have to be today? We've canceled the wedding so many times already, let's reschedule for next weekend. Tonya passes out at the sight of blood, so I need to stay with her. I really hope you understand." He reminisces about their childhood bond, granting Tonya every request, while neglecting me. Actually, I didn't have to marry him. When his absence became a pattern, I chose a man who'd actually appear.

Luna Hayes accidentally saved Liam Moretti, the heir to Ravenwood's largest mafia family. People whispered his name with fear. They said he was merciless, ruthless, a devil in business... and even worse in bed. Yet this very man would kneel to help Luna put on her heels, afraid to hurt her. In bed, he was always gentle with her-so much so that he kept a sex slave just to satisfy his darker desires. But everything changed the moment Liam decided to let that slave carry his child.

Coralie spent seven years loving Kellan, driven by her friend' corneas. However, a month after their marriage, she discovered that the marriage certificate Kellan had given her was fake. He was abroad, marrying his true love, and their marriage was the real one. It was only at this point that Coralie realized she had been nothing more than a substitute for Kellan's true love. Devastated, she walked away. Yet, Kellan soon realized he had fallen deeply in love with the substitute and couldn't escape his feelings. By the time he found Coralie, it was already too late.

At the high-society Kirby family's opulent banquet celebrating their cherished daughter Cathleen Kirby's first birthday, amidst a mountain of gifts from guests, the little girl suddenly reached out and tightly gripped the hand of Jerald Dobson-her father's close friend, despite the considerable age difference between them. Everyone laughed, jesting that this meant Jerald would have to look after her for life. Later, a devastating fire engulfed the Kirby Estate, claiming the lives of the entire family, except the eldest son, Gabriel Kirby, and the youngest daughter, Cathleen. The relatives watched them like hawks, eager to control the two children to devour their assets. Jerald took Gabriel abroad for training and kept Cathleen by his side, guiding her personally. From that day forward, the only person in Cathleen's world was Jerald.

Five years ago, Dinah Flynn married Jeffrey Scott, although everyone had objections. She loved nothing but his face, especially his eyes. She loved him so much that she could tolerate his infidelity. Even when she found out he had brought a mistress to their home for three days and nights, Dinah was not angry. "Jeffrey has gone too far! Dinah, have you truly fallen for him?" Dinah looked at her furious friend and answered earnestly, "As long as I can see his face, I can always forgive him and will always love him. I owe him this." A day later, Jeffrey and his mistress were in a car accident while they were out on a trip. He was left with a scar on his face that would never heal. Dinah left him coldly and disappeared from his world completely. Later, he got down before her and asked her why. She gently traced the scar by his eye and felt her heart ache more. "Jeffrey, he died one more time because of you."

Rosalyn Wright, the heir to a top-tier wealthy family, had been a lovesick fool for seven years. She finally decided to get a divorce. The next day, Rosalyn called her father. "Dad, you were right back then. Forbidden love doesn't bring happiness. I'm ready to divorce and come home to take over the family business." Her father paused for several seconds before responding. "Rosalyn, you cut ties with me to marry your foster brother Saul. Why the sudden change of heart?" Rosalyn's heart ached faintly. A bitter smirk crossed her lips. "Because he got furious I broke his stuff. He doesn't love me. All these years, I was just fooling myself. Once the divorcement is done, I'll come home."

My husband was in the shower, the sound of water a familiar rhythm to our mornings. I was just placing a cup of coffee on his desk, a small ritual in our five years of what I thought was a perfect marriage. Then, an email notification flashed on his laptop: "You're invited to the Christening of Leo Thomas." Our last name. The sender: Hayden Cleveland, a social media influencer. An icy dread settled in. It was an invitation for his son, a son I didn't know existed. I went to the church, hidden in the shadows, and saw him holding a baby, a little boy with his dark hair and eyes. Hayden Cleveland, the mother, leaned on his shoulder, a picture of domestic bliss. They looked like a family. A perfect, happy family. My world crumbled. I remembered him refusing to have a baby with me, citing work pressure. All his business trips, the late nights-were they spent with them? The lie was so easy for him. How could I have been so blind? I called the Zurich Architectural Fellowship, a prestigious program I had deferred for him. "I' d like to accept the fellowship," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I can leave immediately."

Eighteen days after giving up on Brendan Maynard, Jayde Rosario cut off her waist-length hair and called her father, announcing her decision to move to California and attend UC Berkeley. Her father, surprised, asked about the sudden change, reminding her how she' d always insisted on staying with Brendan. Jayde forced a laugh, revealing the painful truth: Brendan was getting married, and she, his stepsister, could no longer cling to him. That night, she tried to tell Brendan about her college acceptance, but his fiancée, Chloie Ellis, interrupted with a bubbly call, and Brendan' s tender words to Chloie twisted a knife in Jayde' s heart. She remembered how his tenderness used to be hers alone, how he had protected her, and how she had poured out her heart to him in a diary and a love letter, only for him to explode, tearing the letter and yelling, "I'm your brother!" He had stormed out, leaving her to painstakingly tape the shredded pieces back together. Her love, however, didn't die, not even when he brought Chloie home and told her to call her "sister-in-law." Now, she understood. She had to put that fire out herself. She had to dig Brendan out of her heart.

My husband, Bennett, and I were New York's golden couple. But our perfect marriage was a lie, childless because of a rare genetic condition he claimed would kill any woman who carried his baby. When his dying father demanded an heir, Bennett proposed a solution: a surrogate. The woman he chose, Aria, was a younger, more vibrant version of me. Suddenly, Bennett was always busy, supporting her through "difficult IVF cycles." He missed my birthday. He forgot our anniversary. I tried to believe him, until I overheard him at a party. He confessed to his friends that his love for me was a "deep connection," but with Aria, it was "fire" and "exhilarating." He was planning a secret wedding with her in Lake Como, at the same villa he'd promised me for our anniversary. He was giving her a wedding, a family, a life—all the things he denied me, using a lie about a deadly genetic condition as his excuse. The betrayal was so complete it felt like a physical shock. When he came home that night, lying about a business trip, I smiled and played the part of the loving wife. He didn't know I'd heard everything. He didn't know that while he was planning his new life, I was already planning my escape. And he certainly didn't know I had just made a call to a service that specialized in one thing: making people disappear.

My father raised seven brilliant orphans to be my potential husbands. For years, I only had eyes for one of them, the cold and distant Damien Paul, believing his distance was a wall I just had to break through. That belief shattered last night when I found him in the garden, kissing his foster sister, Eve—the fragile girl my family took in at his request, the one I had treated like my own sister. But the true horror came when I overheard the other six Fellows talking in the library. They weren't competing for me. They were working together, orchestrating "accidents" and mocking my "stupid, blind" devotion to keep me away from Damien. Their loyalty wasn't to me, the heiress who held their futures in her hands. It was to Eve. I wasn't a woman to be won. I was a foolish burden to be managed. The seven men I grew up with, the men who owed my family everything, were a cult, and she was their queen. This morning, I walked into my father's study to make a decision that would burn their world to the ground. He smiled, asking if I'd finally won Damien over. "No, Dad," I said, my voice firm. "I'm marrying Hunter Beach."

I was Aliana Donovan, a resident physician, finally reunited with the wealthy family I' d been lost from as a child. I had loving parents and a handsome, successful fiancé. I was safe. I was loved. It was a perfect, fragile lie. The lie shattered on a Tuesday when I discovered my fiancé, Ivan, wasn't at a board meeting but at a sprawling mansion with Kiera Reese, the woman I was told had a mental breakdown five years ago after trying to frame me. She wasn' t disgraced; she was radiant, holding a little boy, Leo, who giggled in Ivan' s arms. I overheard their conversation: Leo was their son, and I was merely a "placeholder," a means to an end until Ivan no longer needed my family's connections. My parents, the Donovans, were in on it, funding Kiera' s lavish life and their secret family. My entire reality-the loving parents, the devoted fiancé, the security I thought I' d found-was a carefully constructed stage, and I was the fool playing the lead role. The casual lie Ivan texted me, "Just got out of the meeting. So exhausting. I miss you. See you at home," while he stood beside his real family, was the final blow. They thought I was pathetic. They thought I was a fool. They were about to find out just how wrong they were.

At eight months pregnant, I thought my husband Derek and I had it all. A perfect home, a loving marriage, and our miracle son on the way. Then, while tidying his office, I found his vasectomy certificate. It was dated a year ago, long before we even started trying. Confused and panicked, I rushed to his office, only to hear laughter from behind the door. It was Derek and his best friend, Edison. "I can't believe she still hasn't figured it out," Edison chuckled. "She walks around with that giant belly, glowing like some kind of saint." My husband's voice, the one that whispered words of love to me every night, was full of contempt. "Patience, my friend. The bigger she gets, the bigger the fall. And the bigger my payout." He said our entire marriage was a cruel game to destroy me, all for his precious adopted sister, Else. They were even running a bet on who the real father was. "So, the bet is still on?" Edison asked. "My money's still on me." My baby was a trophy in their sick contest. The world tilted on its axis. The love I felt, the family I was building—it was all a sham. In that moment, a cold, clear decision formed in the ruins of my heart. I pulled out my phone, my voice surprisingly steady as I called a private clinic. "Hello," I said. "I need to schedule an appointment. For a termination."

My world revolved around Jax Harding, my older brother's captivating rockstar friend. From sixteen, I adored him; at eighteen, I clung to his casual promise: "When you're 22, maybe I'll settle down." That offhand comment became my life's beacon, guiding every choice, meticulously planning my twenty-second birthday as our destiny. But on that pivotal day in a Lower East Side bar, clutching my gift, my dream exploded. I overheard Jax' s cold voice: "Can't believe Savvy's showing up. She' s still hung up on that stupid thing I said." Then the crushing plot: "We' re gonna tell Savvy I' m engaged to Chloe, maybe even hint she' s pregnant. That should scare her off." My gift, my future, slipped from my numb fingers. I fled into the cold New York rain, devastated by betrayal. Later, Jax introduced Chloe as his "fiancée" while his bandmates mocked my "adorable crush"-he did nothing. As an art installation fell, he saved Chloe, abandoning me to severe injury. In the hospital, he came for "damage control," then shockingly shoved me into a fountain, leaving me to bleed, calling me a "jealous psycho." How could the man I loved, who once saved me, become this cruel and publicly humiliate me? Why was my devotion seen as an annoyance to be brutally extinguished with lies and assault? Was I just a problem, my loyalty met with hatred? I would not be his victim. Injured and betrayed, I made an unshakeable vow: I was done. I blocked his number and everyone connected to him, severing ties. This was not an escape; this was my rebirth. Florence awaited, a new life on my terms, unburdened by broken promises.

At 25, Evelyn Carter was known as the luckiest woman in all of the city of Beaumont. Victor Blake, the aristocratic heir to Beaumont's most influential family fell in love with her at first sight, marrying her despite her leg disability, and pledged unwavering loyalty. Yet, when Evelyn entrusted him with her heart, she discovered that Victor was the very one responsible for her disability. With a transformative fire, Evelyn bid farewell to her past self, leaving behind her suppressed self and embracing a new beginning.

For eight years, I was the girlfriend of New York's most untouchable billionaire, Dean Lee. To the public, we were a fairy tale: the brilliant, cold CEO who was utterly devoted to me, a simple artist he had plucked from obscurity. He built a fortress of luxury and safety around me. But it was all a lie. On our anniversary, I overheard him with another woman. He called me a "decoy," a "shield" he used to absorb the threats and scrutiny meant for his real love, Karina. His mask came off. He allowed Karina to humiliate me publicly, destroy my dead mother’s heirloom, and then, as punishment, had me force-fed soup made from my beloved cat. His final "lesson" was to throw me into an underground fight club. As I lay beaten and bleeding on the canvas, I saw him in the VIP booth, watching with bored detachment as Karina laughed beside him. The eight years of protection weren't love; they were just maintenance on his human shield. On the verge of death, I was rescued by his biggest rival, Brennen Finley. With my last breath, I gave him the secrets that would bring Dean's empire to its knees. In exchange, I asked for just one thing. "Make Hayley York disappear," I whispered. "Help me die."

This was the third time I had tried to kill myself. Each time, my brother-in-law, Dustin Martin, found me and saved me. But then, I found his watch, a Patek Philippe I' d commissioned for my husband, Evertt, who was presumed dead in a plane crash. The engraving on the back read: "H&E, Forever." My heart stopped. Why did Dustin have Evertt' s watch? A cold dread filled me. I had to know. I had to find out the truth. I stumbled out of my hospital room and heard voices from the waiting area. It was Kylee, Dustin' s pregnant fiancée, and a man' s voice I knew better than my own. It was Evertt' s voice. I peeked around the corner. "Dustin" was holding Kylee in his arms. "Evertt, what if she finds out?" Kylee whispered. "What if she realizes you' re not Dustin?" "She won' t," Evertt said, his voice cold and indifferent. "Her grief is too deep. She sees what she wants to see." The man who had saved me from suicide, the man I thought was my brother-in-law, was my husband. My living, breathing husband. And he had watched me suffer, letting me drown in grief, all for his dead brother' s fiancée. My entire world had been a lie. A cruel, twisted joke. But then, a new thought, cold and sharp, cut through my pain. An escape. I would be strong enough to destroy him.