Novels

My coworker, the queen of passive-aggressive, posted a picture of her holding hands with my boyfriend. The caption? "True love conquers all!" I countered by sharing my boyfriend's HIV positive test results on my Insta story. "True love’s great, honey. Just hope your immune system is as strong.” 1 Seven AM, my phone’s voice memo woke me up. “Hey, Lindsay, is Jakey-boo gonna pick me up today? It's raining!” That was Tiffany, using our little group chat. "Jakey-boo" was my boyfriend, Jake. We’d been going steady for a year, and he drove me to work every day, rain or shine. Before I could reply, Jake’s voice, all smooth

Ten Years Gone It’s been ten years since I died. And finally, Liam finds out there’s another thing between us – a child. … A car accident did me in, right then and there. That day, I’d just come from a wedding of one of my old college classmates. It was her second marriage, and the groom was a big shot at Liam’s company. At the reception, our old crew from college sat at the same table. They asked if I was married yet. I said, “Nope.” Then they all looked at me funny. That viper, Tiffany, had to chime in with her usual crap: “After all the scheming and

Ashley suddenly shoved her phone in my face, her Instagram feed open to a gushing post dedicated to her childhood sweetheart, Michael: "Once a distant dream, now a beautiful reality. You always had my heart, Michael." I glanced at the time. Just past midnight. Our sixth wedding anniversary. "Did it have to be today?" I asked, my voice flat. "Of course," she retorted. "His happiness is fueled by your misery." Happiness, huh? I’d give them a double dose. I hit the like button, then the share. Family group chat? Check. Work colleagues? Check. Every single one. The post vanished within seconds. Ashley's call followed instantly. "Mark! You're so

My twin brother, Ethan, was dead. Only then did my parents remember me, his “crazy” older brother, pulling me from the psych ward. They kept his death a secret, his body hidden in a freezer in our living room. I was to pretend to be him, go to school, and make everyone who'd hurt him pay. Even Brittany, the head cheerleader, Ethan’s unattainable crush, would eventually kneel before me, begging for mercy. 1 Ethan had killed himself. Mom and Dad recounted his torment on the drive home from the hospital, a place that had been my prison for ten years. The freezer in the

My seventh anniversary with Jason was spent staring at a drawer full of his photos with another woman. I stood in a cemetery, negotiating my divorce terms over the phone – money in exchange for my signature. He remained cold, insisting on the divorce first. On the day we finalized it, he called me difficult and unworthy of love. I retorted that he should stay far away from me in life and death, lest he taint my reincarnation. But none of it mattered anymore. I wasn't going to live much longer… 1. After selecting a suitable plot, I paid and immediately called

The night before the wedding, my fiancée sent over an expensive watch. Looking at my missing arm, I immediately decided to call it off. Her star athlete, careful and hesitant, called to explain. "Mr. Williams, I messed up the watch size. It wasn't Ms. Lynn's fault." But I could hear Lynn's impatient voice in the background. "Don't bother with him. He wouldn't dare refuse a gift from me." I scoffed, leaving the divorce papers behind, and walked out. I was packing when Lynn walked in, dressed in an expensive suit. She frowned at the mess. "The wedding is tomorrow! Can't you tidy up? Do

After ten years of dating, Ethan still hadn't proposed. I finally asked him if he ever would. His response was calm, almost businesslike, deflecting the question entirely. I looked down at the photo on my phone. His new secretary, wearing a diamond ring touted as symbolizing "true love," was dressed in a one-of-a-kind wedding gown. She was nestled in his arms, smiling, and he was gazing back at her with tenderness. Suddenly, I didn't want a future with him. 1. His new secretary, Chloe, was bubbly and outgoing. As I was leaving work, she chirped, "Is Ethan picking you up again, Ashley?

Reunited with my ex in the cramped basement apartment we shared right after college. We walked out, a silent agreement hanging between us, neither of us mentioning getting back together. She went off to Europe with her childhood sweetheart for grad school, and I stayed, grinding away at my job. Seven years later, she was a rising star designer, future bright, family perfect. Me? Still at the same company. When we met again, she was arm in arm with her now-husband, looking down at my slightly disheveled appearance. "Long time no see," she sneered. "What happened? You look like a bum." I ignored

I chased after Ethan for seven years, groveling at his feet like a speck of dust. Finally, my persistence "paid off," and I became his fiancée. That is, until I supposedly pushed his precious Luna, causing her to break her leg. He flew into a rage, broke my finger, and had me committed to a hellish psychiatric hospital. He called it my penance. Later, broken and numb, I emerged. And he lost it. "Ashley," he sobbed, "Just stay with me. I'll do anything!" 1. Ethan picked me up the day I was discharged. He leaned against his Bugatti Veyron, smoking, his profile