A "wife" without the ring was what he was after. She let him witness her glow-up up close. Hailey is the perfect "stand-in." She has been Callum's lifeblood for the past two years, acting as an ideal partner without being called that. He believed he was getting a test run for free, while she believed they were creating a life. "I get all the good parts and none of the responsibilities... Sienna's the one I actually want," is what she hears next, and it completely changes her life. Game. Set. Match. Hailey stops being the force that keeps Callum going. Callum's life turns into a hilarious, mouldy nightmare of weaponised stupidity and "salmon-pink" laundry disasters. Hailey finally starts living for herself. And then there's Nick - the rugged builder who doesn't just have a vibe; he has a spirit level, a plan, and a way of looking at Hailey that makes her feel like a masterpiece, not a convenience. Featuring: The "Placeholder" Revenge Weaponised Incompetence vs. Radical Indifference The Ultimate "Upgrade" Hero A Slow-Burn Downfall that is 100% Spectacular

Before Marlowe Ackerman goes away to Brown University, she does the bravest thing she's ever done. She confesses to her best friend, Oliver Abbott, that she is in love with him. And Oliver breaks her heart gently. To him, Marlowe is his safe place. His best friend. The one person who has always been there for him. His feelings for her have never changed, and he is certain they never will. At eighteen, Oliver is desperate for a fresh start after years of being the awkward, gangly dork. Parties, girls, fraternity life, reinvention-he wants everything he thinks college is supposed to give him. But once he gets there, nothing feels right without Marlowe. While she thrives at Brown, Oliver falls apart. He fails classes, wakes up hungover, surrounds himself with the wrong people, and slowly realizes the reason his feelings for Marlowe never changed is because he has loved her all along. But he's too late. When he goes to tell her, he finds her in bed with her boyfriend, Sam. Jealousy and heartbreak make him spit ugly, cruel words he will regret for the rest of his life. Marlowe ends their friendship for good. Ten years later, Oliver has changed. He is a history teacher at their old high school, a wrestling coach, and a man who has spent a decade learning from the worst mistake of his life. When he hears that Marlowe Ackerman is coming back to town for their high school reunion, Oliver knows better than to think he deserves a second chance. But he wants one. Not just to tell Marlowe he still loves her. To show her he has become someone worthy of loving her the way she deserves. He was her almost. Maybe now, he can be her always.

Ten years ago, Iris Desmond was pushed out of his life--by the very people who claimed to love him the most. She was the wrong girl. The outsider. And when threats turned into ultimatums, she made the impossible choice to leave the only boy she ever loved. Levi Astor. Now, a decade later, he's standing in front of her again--wealthier, sharper, harder--and demanding answers she was forced to bury. Levi Astor built a life that finally makes sense. He has the business, the legacy, and a partner who fits into the Astor empire. The woman isn't just perfect in his world--but in his family's world as well. Celestine by his side is everything he thought he needed. But when the past resurfaces, Levi is forced to confront the price of silence. Forced to realize that he might have made mistakes. And now, he isn't sure if they're his to mend. Celestine Wentworth was told to love him--and somehow, it was effortless. She checks all the boxes for the Astor family. But even perfect boxes have edges. And when the ghost of Levi's first love threatens to unravel everything they've built, she can't help but wonder: she is the right choice for his family. The right choice for his business--the safer choice for his reputation. But still only one of the choices. So is she the right one for his heart?

Molly had a great job, a serious boyfriend, and a quiet life in San Francisco. Then Bruce's stepsister thought it would be hilarious to fill out the internal transfer form on Molly's work laptop while Bruce watched. By the time Molly saw the confirmation email, the visa was already processing. The contract was signed. There was no undoing it. She was moving to London. When she demanded Bruce fix what his sister broke? He asked her to apologize. To Crystal. For being upset. So Molly left a note on his kitchen counter - Good Joke! - and got on the plane.

Emory thought her and Nathan's love was steadfast in the face of their families life-long rivalries. That they were devoted and happy. After leaving their hometown behind they'd found their new beginning and a chance to let their love flourish. But running away doesn't always mean overcoming, and their peace is destroyed when outside pressures lead Nathan back home and astray from the life they were building. Romeo & Juliet Inspired Perceived betrayal(s) by the h Actual betrayal(s) by the H TW for cheating: The cheating tag applies to the betrayal by H. There will be emotional cheating as well as a kiss between H and OW.

Divorce lawyer Atticus Pierce has known Saskia was his since the day she moved in next door. He was twelve years old when he saw the quiet, strange girl with watchful dark eyes, and even then, his soul knew what they were before his brain did. Meant to be. Now, at thirty, Saskia has been his wife for ten years, and Atticus loves her with a devotion so deep it's madness. Tracking her location keeps her safe. Memorizing her routines is his duty as her protector. Noticing every subtle shift in her expression is his honor as her husband. But he keeps this hidden from Saskia, terrified at the thought of her discovering his obsession and being scared of him. She might leave him. And that is inconceivable. But Saskia is keeping secrets. Private phone calls she claims are work. Late-night meetings. Hushed conversations with the president of Iron Vow, the local MC. Already stretched thin by a brutal case against a violent ex-husband, Atticus begins to spiral beneath the weight of suspicion, jealousy, and the one fear he cannot survive coming true. That the love of his life belongs to someone else. When his control finally snaps, he says things he regrets the moment they leave his mouth. But Saskia is not cheating. She never was. She never would. And when Atticus uncovers the truth, he realizes his wife is not afraid of his obsession. She has been matching it all along... TW: stalking, blood and gore, unhealthy obsessive relationship behaviors that I'm shamelessly romanticizing. Reader discretion is advised.

What happens when a FWB arrangement turns into something it shouldn't have? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .( Not Edited)

A Marriage in trouble story. They were the "couple goals" from the moment they met in high school. The ones everyone believed would make it. Ten years later, their once-solid marriage begins to fracture under the weight of vicious gossip, half-truths, and misplaced trust. As outsiders worm their way into their private world, Paige and Trevor are forced to confront what's real, what's been lost, and where their loyalties truly lie.

A perfect pair. A small tear. A betrayal too hurtful to spare.

Lady Eleanora, the dutiful eldest daughter of a duke, accepts a marriage of alliance to Crown Prince Anthony without protest. Graceful and admired, she is everything a future queen should be. But Anthony falls for her younger sister-the one who wants no crown, no court, no throne. Bound by an uneasy agreement, Duty and Desire bind them together while pulling them apart. When Duty and Desire collide, Eleanora must face whether her devotion will cost her the one thing she was never meant to want-love.