THANK YOU, Wattpad, for the HQ Love Watty Award! Concept: A mysterious young woman flees from her troubled past only to discover it is impossible to escape THE SECRET that haunts her. *PLEASE NOTE: This story was originally inspired by the movie "Sleeping With the Enemy". * * * * * "I would never, Steven," she promised, turning away from him in an attempt to protect herself. "I know you wouldn't," he screamed. Cupping her chin in his hand, he forced her to look at him. "Because I would kill you." His words hung heavy in the air. Sarah's heart sank into her stomach. No matter how many times she'd heard the menacing phrase, she could never get used to it. It had the same affect on her as the first time he'd thrown the ugly words in her face. The familiar sting of bile rose in her throat, and she knew she would deplete the contents of her stomach once she was locked in the safety of their master bath. 'If I make it through this time,' she agonized. Her biggest fear was that one day he would really lose his temper with her. Who knew what would happen then? *This story is an unedited first draft. Top Ranks: Action #1, Mystery and Thriller #1 *This story contains scenes of abuse and may be disturbing to some readers. While the characters are fictional, domestic violence is a serious issue that many people across the world face. If you or someone you know is the victim of abuse, please seek help immediately. Notice: This document is not authorized for upload or use with artificial intelligence systems or platforms. Any attempt to upload, analyze, or process this content using AI technology is strictly prohibited.

[WATTYS 2016 WINNER!] [COSMOPOLITAN Featured!] Trapped in her white trash hell, Layla Danner is failing at life. Her friend Peyton? Everybody thinks he's perfect, a staggeringly rich, handsome, and well-mannered story book prince. But they don't know what Layla knows. And she'll never tell. Jake? Jake's trouble. A down and dirty charmer, this one's got a devil-may-care attitude and a mouth to match. Everything goes to hell in a handbasket when he shows up to town one summer. Layla never meant to fall in love. All she wanted to do was finish her senior year, get the hell out of this town and never, ever look back. But when mysterious secrets from the boys' past refuse to stay buried, Layla must decide how far she'll go for a chance at a once in a lifetime love. Follow three unforgettable characters in this captivatingly melodramatic, soap-operatic, and larger-than-life tale of first loves, loyalty, intrigue and the magic of growing up. ♦️WARNING: This writer is a hopeless romantic with a filthy mouth and a dirty mind who loves to re-work cliches. The style of the story reflects this. Also, some dark themes. ♦️

You've heard her side of the story. And now... you'll hear theirs. They're the guys who contacted Mercedes Ayres for one reason: To lose their virginity. Maybe they heard a rumor about her services. Maybe a friend told them. Or maybe they found out by accident. Some of them are nervous and want to make sure their girlfriends have the perfect first time. Some of them don't know what they're getting into. And some of them want to find out exactly how far a lie will get them. In this series, you'll get to know the story behind each of the guys who get into Mercedes' bedroom. Tommy Hudson, the boy in a long-term relationship who unintentionally starts the whole thing. Nerdy Evan Brown, who just wants to rock his girlfriend's world. Chase Redgrave, whose actions definitely don't speak louder than words. Handsome Orlando, who might be hiding his true intentions behind a killer smile. And everyone in between. What happens in Mercedes' bedroom is supposed to stay there. But these guys are about to find out that it might be harder to keep the secret than they ever thought possible. Ten virgins. Ten stories. Ten weeks. Because before every first time, there's a whole lot of second guessing.