[PUBLISHED under LIB] #1. "If pleading guilty means protecting you, I will."

[PUBLISHED UNDER LIB] #3. "If I won't have you then might as well kill me, attorney."

[PUBLISHED under LIB] #2. "If liking you is a crime then why don't you convict me, attorney?"

When her longtime boyfriend proposes to her, Nari does not seem happy. She rejects him, hoping he would understand. But two years, seven days, three hours, five minutes, and thirty seconds later, Nari enters a church and watches him get married to someone else. *** At 21, Nari Miranda graduates from college wanting to complete her bucket list-being independent, visiting the US, traveling Europe, and adopting a dog-so when Benny, her longtime boyfriend proposes and surprises her with a house-their own house--she doesn't feel right. Until she follows the first thing she thinks of that moment: she rejects him. Nari hopes that everything will still be okay between them, but seeing Benny with another girl becomes too much for her. Feeling broken, she goes to a bar to drink her pain away and meets Preston, the man she always coincidentally crosses paths with, not knowing her life will take a whole new different turn. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish COVER DESIGNED BY: Louise De Ramos

All her life, Mary Imogen Suarez was led to believe that she should end up with Parker Adrian Palma. Na dapat, kay Parker lang siya. Na si Imogen ay para lang kay Parker. But the problem was, Parker never looked her way, at least, not the way she wanted him to. For him, she's just the best friend-and a reminder of something he badly wanted to forget. For years, she lived with the knowledge that Parker would never like her back. Akala ni Imo, hindi na siya makakaahon sa naraaramdaman niya para kay Parker-until she met Saint Iverson Gomez de Lianño. Saint was a breath of fresh air. He's attentive, and he made Imo feel loved and appreciated-something she never felt during all the years she loved Parker. But when things started to fall in their right places, Parker decided to finally look her way. What would Imogen do? Would she brave the storm to be with Saint? Or would she tread the strings that connect her with Parker?

From strangers to friends. From friends to close friends. From close friends to lovers. When Joey met Psalm, she didn't think that they'd ever be together. Paano ba naman, ex niya ang best friend nito! Psalm had seen her at her lowest, and she didn't think that there's a possibility of them being together... Pero habang tumatagal, mas lalong napapalapit ang loob niya dito. But how could they be together if he couldn't trust her? Trust... parang isang maliit na bagay lang, pero kapag wala sa isang relasyon, hindi mo alam kung hanggang kailan magtatagal.

It's hard to prove yourself when everyone thinks that everything's being given to you on a silver platter. And in Siobhan Margarette's case, she'll do everything to make everyone see that she's worth it. But what will she do if someone unexpected sees her worth? Will she stay and accept? Or will she continue pretending that she doesn't feel a thing... too?

Sydney James Wantirano is a woman of contrasts. With a fiery, untamable spirit and unyielding principles, she commands respect and admiration. Yet, behind this formidable exterior lies a tender heart that remains devoted to her parents, despite their harsh treatment and the absence of familial love. Her efforts to honor and make them proud are both a testament to her resilience and a source of hidden pain. Everything changes one fateful night when Sydney meets Xarius-a charming, effervescent man who shatters her rigid world. His presence awakens something in her that she never knew she was missing. For the first time, Sydney feels truly at home, valued, and loved-experiences she thought were forever beyond her reach. The irony of finding solace in someone so different from herself only deepens the impact of their connection. But such profound change comes at a cost. Sydney is faced with an impossible choice: between embracing the happiness Xarius offers and fulfilling her obligations to those who have always been her burden. Torn between two conflicting paths, she must decide whether to pay the price for her newfound joy or abandon it to maintain her old responsibilities. Will Sydney find a way to navigate these treacherous waters, or will she escape into the safety of the familiar, leaving behind the twisted wildlands of her heart? Started: July 18, 2020 End: December 17, 2020

To transform her family's life from rags to riches, Cari is determined to focus on her studies and set the idea of love aside. But upon meeting the mysterious Ross, she knew things will never be the same again. Will Cari be able to tame the fiery beast in him--or let herself burn from the heat? ___ Possessing both beauty and brains, Carmilla Rina Dela Pente is dearly called 'Aphrodite' by her best friends. Despite being a head-turner, Cari has no intention to entertain suitors because she has strict goals set up- to fulfill her family's dreams. One soccer game unexpectedly changes her life, ultimately drawing her to the cold and handsome Ross. For the first time in their lives, both Cari and Ross experienced the bliss of falling in love. But with their feelings growing stronger, Cari soon discovers that their love comes with a price- one that may cost her not only her special love ones, but even more. Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Start: May 12, 2020 End: July 18, 2020

UNIVERSITY SERIES #4. Samantha Vera from Ateneo De Manila University, the epitome of kindness, empathy, grace, and solicitude got her life ruined when her parents told her that she was marrying Cy Ramirez, a med student from UP, after their graduation.