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Ayu, a simple girl, had fallen in love with her childhood best friend Ali, a devout, intellectual, and kind man. Her status as the daughter of a prisoner and an ex-prostitute, on the other hand, caused a great chasm between her and Ali, the only child of the village's most revered person. Their friendship created enormous hurdles in Ayu's life rather than happiness until Dave, a blue-eyed and blond-haired lad, entered her life and love blossomed in their hearts. Unfortunately, their disparity in faith created a significant barrier between them. Who would Ayu prioritise, her love or her faith?
A beautiful girl in school uniform hurriedly jogged through her village's gravel road toward her school, the hot sun piercing every inch of her skin. Her temple and forehead were adorned with sweat pearls. Her torso was wet, and the uniform she was wearing was stuck to it.
She fought the exhaustion that was nearly breaking her. As if she had more spirit, the fatigue that struck her meant nothing to her, despite the fact that it took her so long to get to school.
She slowed her stride along the way. However, it was her family's fate that sapped her energy, not her physic. And the memory she had tried to forget resurfaced. That image of his father being dragged into the police station lingered in her mind. The roaring voice of the judge in court then clearly echoed in her head.
"Mr. Hermawan has been found guilty of stealing his neighbor's hens. As a result, he receives a two-year prison sentence for his crime."
After that verdict, she no longer had access to her father.
To survive, she and her mother set up a vegetable and fruit stall with the help of their neighbors and the village chief.
Every morning before school, she had to help her mother at the market. Since then, being late had become her middle name. Fortunately, her teachers fathomed her situation and allowed her to attend the lectures despite her tardiness.
When someone yelled, she continued to walk through the pebbles and stones. She didn't even have to look back to figure out who it was. For so long, his voice had been etched in her mind. Only when she lost her memory was she able to forget his voice.
"Ayu...." He kept calling her name. She jerked around to see a tall boy, his eyes the same shade of brown as his skin. He jumped off his bike with a smile on his face. Their gazes locked briefly before the boy averted his gaze. It was her friend, Ali.
"What brings you here at this time?" Ayu, the girl, questioned his presence. Her pupils constricted in disbelief. Instead of responding, Ali moved toward her, pushing the bike with his hands.
They grew up together as neighbors and friends. Despite Ali's mother's opposition, their friendship endured and grew stronger with each passing day. Ayu was just a child to an ex-prostitute and a prisoner to Ali's mother. She wouldn't be on their level with her status. Meanwhile, Ali was known as a devout, wealthy, and intelligent young man, the only child of the village's most respected man.
Ali's father was humble and wise, in contrast to his mother, who was overly proud of her family. He treated others with dignity as a respected person in the village. People's dignity and status in society, according to him, cannot be measured by their social background. Ali was fortunate to have inherited his father's good demeanor.
"Let's go to school together." Ayu's eyes widened with surprise. Ali had filled the gap between them. His hand tapped the saddle seat at the back, inviting her to join him for the ride. Ayu politely declined his offer, shaking her head. He looked at his wristwatch to see what time it was. "The classes have begun. If you arrive an hour late, the teacher will not admit you." There was no other option for her. Ayu hesitantly climbed onto the seat after scanning around to ensure that no one would notice them. Ali's feet paddled through the cycle to school in a fraction of a second.
On their way to school, they were drowned out by silence. Only the trees and reeds witnessed their union. Ayu's heart pounded, and her face turned pale. Anxiety manifested itself there. If Ali's mother discovered that Ali had given her a ride, she would be in big trouble.
"Are you still there?" Ali's voice jolted her out of her reverie.
She swallowed and cleared her throat. "Yeah...."
"It's just a little unusual for you to be so quiet. Are you in trouble?"
"No... could you drop me off at the gate?" As soon as Ali braked his bike's pedals, Ayu dashed into the school gate. That girl abandoned him without saying anything.
Ali and Ayu were both sophomores in high school. Ali's intelligence placed him at the top of the class of straight-A students. Ayu was placed in the second-level category as an ordinary student.
When Ayu entered her classroom, the lecture had been going on. As a punishment for her tardiness, the teacher let her in after she finished cleaning up.
Ayu walked to the back row. A book was handed to her by one of her classmates. Her classmates genuinely cared about her. They were always willing to lend her their notes for the classes she missed. Ayu scribbled it down in her notebook.
"Excuse me," the school principal, a fat middle-aged lady, said as she entered the classroom, followed by a boy. The 6'1 foreigner boy with blue eyes and blond hair entered the class elegantly and confidently. Except for Ayu, his handsome face with a broad smile on his lips enchanted all the students in the classroom. Girls were in awe of him, and some of them were flirting with him. The boys' jealousy was palpable.
The murmurs swarmed the room like bees, commenting on his appearance and expressing their wonder at his existence. In a minute, the teacher calmed them down and regained their attention. Nonetheless, no one's gaze shifted away from him.
"So you've got a new Canadian transfer student. His name is Dave." Another commotion was successfully induced by the school principal's voice. Their mouths were full of praise and admiration.
"He's so attractive!" Adele, the most talkative student in the room, let out an exclamation. Dave leered at her, startled by her announcement, and his cheeks flushed. Receiving an unexpected compliment was most likely beyond his expectations. He only gave a small smile in response.
"Now it's your turn, Dave," the teacher said, "to introduce yourself to them."
Dave revealed nothing other than his village residence after the school principal mentioned his name. The majority of the girls wanted to know more about him. However, the teacher stepped in and allowed him to sit next to Ayu. The girls' faces were flushed with envy.
After the teacher announced where that boy would sit, Ayu fell silent. She moved as far away from the empty chair beside her as she could. Her gaze was drawn to her book. Dave moved slowly toward the empty seat next to her. His gaze was fixed on her, but she didn't even look at him.
"Hi! I'm Dave. What is your name?" When she turned, Dave's hand reached out to her, but he drew it back when she ignored it.
She muttered her name hesitantly. "Ayu." Her soft voice was cold.
"May I ask you a question?" Dave inquired as to when the class had begun. She simply nodded. "How did you get those scars on your hands?" In embarrassment, Ayu drew her hands and hid them on her laps. Her chin was pressed against her chest.
Esma Ozkan, the only daughter of Ahmet Ozkan, a president director of a construction company as well as the wealthiest person in his city, lived the life of a princess. She possessed everything every girl wished for: beauty, intelligence, a happy family, not to mention a handsome billionaire fiance who was also a famous astute doctor in the country, Erhan Durmaz. Erhan - who had admired and adored Esma since their adolescence - was the only heir of the Durmaz family, the owner of the biggest hotel in the city of Istanbul. Aside from his job as a doctor in the hospital, he was also the CEO of his father's hotel. This fact made Esma's life perfect. However, perfection was just camouflage, for mundane life lingered temporarily and promised nothing but a bummer. Fate looted Esma's bliss in the blink of an eye when a girl named Yara Baiq entered her life and confessed to the real Esma Ozkan. Not only did her existence kick Esma out of her luxurious world but it also revealed the biggest secret and betrayal hidden behind the perfect image of the Ozkan family. Yara Baig was once an impoverished girl who had faced adversity since childhood. Her life deteriorated for having a toxic mother who had always tortured her physically and mentally. But, her destiny, like a fairy tale, crushed all her misery overnight and showered her with joy she never expected after taking over Esma's position in the Ozkan family. When Esma had lost all in her hold, to whom Erhan would devote his heart and love; the real Esma or the fake one he had put his adoration in for so long? *** "From today onward, I shall live as Esma; and you will be Yara. Thus, Erhan is mine." At the assertive decision the girl in front of her made, instead of defensive words, sobs escaped Esma's mouth in response. "There is only one girl in my heart now and forever, Esma; and you know who she is," asserted Erhan in vexation.
"Use this to treat your scars," Reno suggested. My mouth muffled in stun as soon as a plaster moved to my palm, and in a response to my silence, he trudged to the lift with both of his hands buried beneath his pants pockets. "Surviving without scars in the toxic world is beyond healing, " I mumbled to myself. *** As fate never renders her with bliss but woes, Ilana, an impoverished seventeen-year-old teenager has to endure the adversities her father caused for ruining her world with his tortures; the bullying she suffers at school deteriorates her life without hope of escaping the ravines of misery. It was only her dreams which bolstered her until two strangers, the nerd yet the smartest boy at school, Reno, and Vera, the energetic girl with her secret no one knows, step into her life and change the compass of her destiny. Their constellation draws a line that connects them through their scars. However, the villains jump in their line and loot their propinquity when the intruders manifest their existence into their life; can spite conquer veracity and let it fall with their downfall? Will Ilana survive the hells created by her father and her bullies and accomplish her goals after all the disasters and agony?
"I, Erika Blackwood, stand before you, Alexander Robertson, with a heavy heart. I hereby reject you as my mate. The bond we once shared has grown fragile, and my soul yearns for a different path. May you find solace in the love of another, and may we both find the happiness we seek." Alexander didn't say a word and looked at me. But he refused to accept. *********** Erika Blackwood is the next Alpha in line of the Ironclaw Pack. She hides her identity and gets mated to the Alpha of the Moonforest Pack, Alexander Robertson. Three years passed, but Alexander is still unwilling to let go of his childhood sweetheart. Erika is mistreated and eventually framed by the same childhood sweetheart. Now she leaves with that humiliation, and goes back to her pack, swearing vengeance on those who hurt her. They all waited for her to return and beg, but what happens when they realize that the famous Ironclaw Pack that was going to help in the rogue war, was ruled by a woman named, Erika Blackwood. Now her Ex mates want her back. Other Alphas want this woman.. But will she accept any of them? Or will she stay independent forever?...
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Becky endured three years of marriage to the cold-hearted Rory. In all that time, she naively reasoned that one day, he'd gradually come to like her. But the second he forced her to kneel down and humiliate herself, she knew she had been wrong about him. This man had no feelings for her at all. So why should she still love him? When Rory gave her the choice between kneeling down and divorcing, she didn't miss a beat and chose the latter. After all, why should she waste her youth on this scumbag? Wouldn't it be nicer for her to just have fun every day with her billion-dollar family fortune?
"You're pathetic!" Brenden sneered, each word cutting deep into Corinna's heart. Years of emotional wounds had drained every ounce of love she once held. "I've wasted enough time on you. If there's a next life, I hope we never meet again." Her words severed the bond between them like a blade. From that moment on, Brenden was haunted by her absence—unable to sleep, longing for the warmth he took for granted.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."