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When Owen Wraxall returns to Los Angeles, his focus is on finding his long-lost twin, but fate introduces him to Ophelia Loxley, a young woman desperate to reclaim her family's former status. Their whirlwind romance culminates in a marriage meant to heal old wounds, but instead, it opens new ones. As betrayal poisons their union, Owen and Ophelia become entangled in a dangerous web of lies, manipulation, and power struggles. In a city where wealth hides corruption and love teeters on the edge of destruction, Ophelia must confront her past while Owen wrestles with the demons driving his cruelty. When buried secrets resurface and the shadows of their choices threaten to consume them, both must ask: Is redemption possible, or is the cost of truth too steep to bear? In When Love Turned Sour, love isn't the savior-it's the battlefield.
==OPHELIA==
My thumb hesitated above the 'Record' button on my phone, while my fingers shook, unwilling to calm down. I saw a reflection on the screen of a face that looked pale, hollow, and nearly unrecognizable. When did I turn into this unfamiliar person? The faint silhouette of a person I once recognised, now obscured and smudged by suffering.
A part of me desired to halt, to cast the phone away, and simply bring everything to an end. However, the words in my throat fought to be let out. I struggled to even murmur, "Owen, my husband..." Feeling his name in my chest like a sharp knife that wouldn't come out, causing a silent, lingering ache. I could still perceive his icy gaze, the manner in which he would stare at me, as though he preferred my absence, as though I was only a hindrance in his existence.
"It has been five months." I spoke in a trembling voice, barely louder than a whisper. "Five months spent attempting to understand the cause of the problem. The reason he transformed into a monster. How he turned into this hollow husk, a person I can't even identify anymore." I tried to force a fake smile, but it faltered and turned into a bitter chuckle instead.
"My parents also acted like they didn't notice anything," I whispered wearily, my voice heavy with tiredness and bitterness. For them, this marriage was like a fairy tale, an ideal situation that restored their previous social standing. I experienced a scorching sensation in my throat-the discomfort of tears I had suppressed for too long. "They believed I had at last discovered joy."
"I made an attempt. I made a great effort to meet expectations, to fulfill my father's wishes, to satisfy Owen's desires, in the hope that he might eventually acknowledge me." I struggled to control my shaky voice and clenched my teeth, determined to stay calm as I tightly squeezed my fists, feeling my nails digging into my palms to steady myself. "No matter what effort I exerted, it was always inadequate. I had disappeared from my own life."
"I simply desire for this agony to cease... I wish for everything to come to a halt."
I clicked 'Upload' quickly, unable to stop myself, observing as the video vanished into the vastness of the internet, taking all the hidden parts of myself with it. I was unsure if it would be noticed or if anyone would show interest. It didn't matter.
I glanced over at the rope resting on the table. I sensed a lack of feeling, like all emotions had flowed out, leaving a serene, vacant exterior. Almost without thinking, I grabbed the rope and felt its texture anchor me as I wrapped it around the beam, securing it with an unfamiliar sense of calm. I got on the chair and stared at the ground below me. This marked the conclusion of the suffering, the hopes, and the constant pursuit of a life that never belonged to me.
I let out a final, brief breath before kicking the chair away.
===============
I slowly emerged, feeling cold and confusion creeping through my mind like fog. My eyes were too burdened to lift, my fatigue pulling my body down, along with a mysterious heaviness, as if I were suspended in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness.
Intense fluorescent lights seared my eyes as they blinked open, cutting through the fog. Everything surrounding me felt sanitised, remote, and overly illuminated. I felt a shadow next to me, and gentle fingers delicately covered my hand.
"Where...am I?" My voice was barely audible, hoarse, and rough, each word causing discomfort in my sore throat.
A nurse's face appeared, showing a soft expression filled with sympathy. "You're in a safe place," she whispered, gently squeezing my hand for reassurance. "It has been 48 hours since you were admitted while unconscious. You are now better."
"48 hours." The words floated in the air, seeming surreal and without heaviness.
How can I continue to exist in this physical form I believed I had moved on from? I felt my chest constrict and my throat fill with unidentified emotions. I looked away from her stare, unable to handle the affection in her gaze-that compassion.
After she departed, the heavy, engulfing silence weighed on me like all the burdens I had attempted to escape from.
"Even death rejected me." I whispered.
Shortly after, the door opened once more, and I prepared myself for yet another nurse or doctor. Instead, a female police officer walked in, her gaze unwavering but caring.
"Mrs. Wraxall." She spoke in a calm tone, her voice oddly comforting. "I'm Officer Garrett."
I moved with difficulty, every muscle sore, which made my motion sluggish. "What is it that you want?" I had a harsh tone in my voice, with words that were not meant to sound that way.
Officer Garrett moved closer, her facial expression becoming gentler. "I've come to look into the video you uploaded on the internet," she said softly. "It has been going viral, and people... well, people are concerned about you."
The words hit like a punch, empty and confusing. "Worried?"
I wanted to let out a bitter, hollow laugh, but it ended up getting stuck in my throat and emerging as a strangled noise. "Why are you attempting to deceive me?" I whispered, my tone heavy with resentment. "Nobody cares!"
She maintained her unyielding gaze, a subtle comprehension evident in her eyes. "Sometimes people don't realise until it's too late," she said gently. "But now that you have been offered the attention. If you're ready to converse, we're ready to listen."
I averted my gaze, looking at my hands while feeling the familiar heaviness settling on me, weighing on my bones. What can I say that would make a difference? The isolation, the deceit, and the wounds that had been inflicted remained present and piercing.
I balled up my hands, turning my face. "I'm not sure if..." I whispered, my voice fading as the words felt too delicate to complete, too hesitant.
Officer Garrett remained, her presence stable and steadfast, indicating she would stay until necessary.
Within that quietness, an unresolved decision approached.
I opened my mouth to let the words pour out-
Raised in a world where her parents are always away on business trips, she was free to live recklessly from her teenage years onward. With no one around to set boundaries, she dives headfirst into a life of wild indulgence, driven by the need for freedom and thrill. SEX CHRONICLES follows the journey of a young woman who lives on her own terms, indulging in every temptation that comes her way. It's a raw, unfiltered exploration of a life lived recklessly, where love, lust, and consequences are tangled together in a world of unrestrained passion.
Ivory had a night of passion with her step-brother, Leo, on the eve of her father's wedding. She believes her secret was safe. The next Monday, a scandal breaks out that puts her father's shares and position in jeopardy, so she was persuaded to marry Leo to save the family reputation. Weeks later, Ivory's father dies mysteriously, and her world is turned upside down which raises a dark and very dangerous reality. With her life turned into something she never wanted or expected. Will she unravel the mystery behind her father's demise and find a way to reclaim life?
After getting into a violent car accident, Claire woke up in a hospital in immense pain. She had thought that her husband of three years would come to see her, but unexpectedly, he strode into the ward next to hers to take care of another woman! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, he even threatened to put her in jail for that woman’s sake! "You gave me five hundred million as compensation, right? Now, I'm exchanging it for a slap on her face." Claire looked at her husband, Darren, coldly. "Let's get divorced." At that moment, Claire regretted wasting three precious years trying to win Darren's heart. It was time to end all of it.
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
In the fifth year of marriage, Rylan had an affair with a somewhat famous internet celebrity. His friends asked him, "If Stella finds out and wants a divorce and half of your assets, what will you do?" He laughed disdainfully while smoking, "Stella, she's just someone who throws herself at me, loves me to death, and can't leave me." Later, when I presented him with the divorce agreement, he cried and tried to hold on. But, cold wine can still be warmed, how can a cold heart be warmed?
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?