Three years ago, they shared a single evening that never quite left them- a conversation too easy, laughter too familiar, a pull too strong for strangers. But the timing was wrong, the circumstances messier than either could admit. No second date. No promises. Now, out of the blue, his name lights up her screen, like a ghost who never really died. She answers. What follows isn't dramatic-just two voices, unexpectedly familiar, threading their way through old silences. Do they still mean something to each other... or is this just emotional static stirred by nostalgia? They don't know. Maybe it's fate catching a glitch. Or maybe, some stories aren't meant to be rewritten- just reread once before putting them down for good.

When romance-obsessed Somali Sharma discovers her favorite bookstore has murdered the romance section, she launches an email assault on customer service. Instead of corporate speak, she gets wickedly clever replies from a mysterious wordsmith who thinks love stories are "beautiful lies" and happy endings are "dopamine delusions." What starts as literary warfare becomes epistolary seduction. Each email exchange grows more flirtatious, more vulnerable, more addictive. He's cynically brilliant, she's passionately stubborn. Email by email, two strangers fall in love through carefully crafted words, sharp wit, and vulnerable confessions. He's brooding and brilliant, hiding behind professional distance. She's fierce and romantic, refusing to let cynicism win. Together, they create their own love story, one perfectly timed response at a time. But plot twist: her enigmatic email nemesis has been keeping a secret that could rewrite their entire love story. Sometimes the best romances begin with a complaint and end with a revelation that proves truth is stranger than fiction.

A shy art student finds herself drawn to an older guy she encounters in a cafe. Something sparks between them, but everything is not black and white, and the baggage they carry might just be too much. ***** Rowan Easton has finally found the courage to leave an abusive relationship, and as it turns out, her ex has no problems moving on to the next conquest. Deciding that she too needs to leave the past behind her, she throws herself into getting her degree and has no intentions of getting involved with anyone else in the near future. James Wilson returns from serving overseas only to find that his wife has been cheating on him. Heartbroken, he divorces the fair-haired Ada and moves away in the hopes of coping with the aftereffects of war and a broken marriage. The two meet under these unfortunate circumstances when James moves to the college town of Bozeman, Montana. Despite the recent events in his life, James finds himself fascinated by the girl who sits slumped in the cafe with coffee and a sketchbook. Will they ever overcome the walls placed by their past relationships? ••••• Warning: This story is complete and is registered in its entirety with the U.S. Copyright Office. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. This is the only place this story is posted.

[WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2021 & 2022] "I love every part of you. Not because of who you were before, but because of who you are now, in spite of all the bullshit this universe has sent your way." Jasmine Ali is broken. After watching her best friend die, she walks through life with a strained smile and heavy heart, trying her best to seem like everything is okay. All that matters is getting through her daily routine. But when Jace Wilson appears with a limp and a frown, her mask begins to slip. And Jasmine begins to learn that nothing is ever truly broken.

• WATTYS 2022 WINNER • When Iris Monet married millionaire Jared Darling, she had only one rule - that he could cheat on her with anyone except the household staff. This arrangement of theirs would have gone on quite happily if she hadn't caught him on the snooker table with their maid, and on their wedding anniversary night no less. Humiliated and more than a little drunk, Iris storms out of the house vowing never to return unless it's for a well-compensated divorce. But as the train trundles out of the city, she slowly calms down and quickly realizes that there's a problem. A big problem. Because the only thing Iris has ever done in her life is being a trophy wife. The prospect of unfunded singlehood on the cusp of her thirties is a horrifying nightmare she's unprepared to deal with. So naturally, when she lays eyes on who she thinks is the richest bachelor in Ryefair, Iris is more than ready to put her claws into him. Except, Satoh Akai isn't the richest bachelor in Ryefair - not by a long shot. And as someone who speaks better with animals than people, romance is the furthest thing from his mind. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, anything is possible but one thing is certain - worlds will collide and hearts will burn. ✒ 17th November 2021 (start) ✒ 27th July 2022 (end)