Novels

The landslide happened so fast. Ashley and I tumbled down the hillside together. My boyfriend, Ethan, scooped Ashley up right in front of me and just…left. He left me there. Everyone rushed Ashley to the hospital. Nobody even noticed me. When I finally got rescued and taken to the hospital, Ethan never once came to visit. And now, now that I finally don't care about him anymore, he’s crying his eyes out, saying he loves me. 1 It was Ashley who pulled me down. We were standing fine, and then she grabbed me, lost her footing, and took us both down. Ethan

It was the middle of the night when I woke up, wanting to look at the photos Matt had taken of me trying on wedding dresses. Instead, I found a string of texts: “Nina, I’m getting married soon.” “Seven years… I guess it’s time to move on.” “I wish it was you trying on wedding dresses with me today.” 1. I’d been trying on dresses all day and crashed as soon as I got home. I woke up sometime in the dead of night and instinctively reached for Matt beside me, but the space was empty. The shower was running. My stomach

It was Mid-Autumn Festival. I'd cooked a whole feast, waiting for Ethan to come home. He walked in, didn't even glance at the table, and went straight to his suitcase. "I can't spend Mid-Autumn Festival with you this year," he said coldly. I didn't say anything, just silently picked at my crab. At midnight, like clockwork, Ethan's first love posted a picture on Instagram. She was beaming, piggybacking on Ethan, a full moon visible through the window. The caption read: "Raising a glass to the moon, paired with my beloved." Instead of my usual hysterical questioning, I simply "liked" the post. Ethan's phone call came

Before the system left, it gave me three wishing matches. I used the first to save a badly injured Ethan Clark. I used the second to open a time-bending pharmacy, helping him conquer the world. But when it came time to reward my loyalty, he ordered my dinner to be taken away. "As a concubine, you are entitled to sixteen fewer dishes than the Empress." That's when I learned he had broken his promise and was going to marry someone else. My smile faded. "And what if I refuse?" His voice was indifferent. "You have no choice." I didn't say another word and walked out of the hall alone. Into

Mark, the principal of an elite high school, locked his daughter, Lily, in a hotel room on the day of the Physics Olympiad. He hired a creepy older man to guard her, all so his first love's son, Ethan, could secure the guaranteed admission to Caltech. "Caltech has always been Ethan's dream, Lily. Just let him have it," he'd said. "Stay put. This man will…discipline you if you don't." Lily was brutally assaulted and murdered. Later, at a school assembly, a reporter asked Mark about his daughter's death. He froze, his face draining of color. 1. I was out of town, arguing a case,

The new "Paired Admissions" policy had the whole country buzzing. Basically, if you scored above a certain threshold on the college entrance exam (the gaokao), you could choose a loved one or romantic partner to get into college with you. Our school administrators scrambled to explain the details, eventually handing out forms for us to fill out. My classmate, Sarah Miller, was puzzled. "Ashley," she said, "what do you think the catch is?" "No catch," I replied flatly. "If you hit the target score, you can pick a family member or significant other to get in with you." Sarah looked at me, surprised.

Six months ago, Mark told me the factory was struggling, and our monthly food and meat stamps were cut drastically. I believed him. Then one day, I saw him pocket most of his paycheck and stamps right after payday and take them to his friend’s widow. I blew up, but he just said coldly, "Because of your outburst, she lost her job. Go home and think about what you’ve done." And then, he got her a job at the factory… my job. Now, I work my tail off day and night, selling socks at a street stall. People ask me why I'm working

It was the day I was supposed to give birth, and Josh's ex, Mia, posted a picture on Instagram. It was a photo of her on a highway overpass, clutching a baby doll. The caption read, "If I hadn't miscarried, our baby would be as cute as this doll." Josh saw the post and scoffed, "What a psycho. Hope she doesn't fall and kill herself." But then he rushed out the door and didn't come back all night. On the cold operating table, I calmly said, "My husband died today. Don't bother saving the baby." … Three hours before delivery, Josh said he had to

Jason and I were in a car accident. My heart was ruptured, and I needed surgery, badly. But Mom, the hospital director, called all the doctors to Jason's room. He had a minor scratch, but they ran a full-body scan on him. I begged Mom to help me, but she snapped, "Can you pick a better time for your drama? Do you know your brother almost fractured a bone?!" I died alone, unnoticed. But when Mom, who hated me most, learned of my death, she lost her mind.