The Causal Agreement: A Hundred Favors

Too Late For Regret: His Ruined Empire

I gave up my architectural career and used my family's fortune to build my husband Jace's empire. I thought we were a power couple, but I came home to find him intimately comforting another woman-Brenna, the pregnant fiancée of his late partner, who he'd moved into our home without my consent. When I confronted them, Brenna deliberately smashed my priceless, century-old family heirloom watch. In a blind rage, I slapped her. But instead of defending me, his wife, Jace violently shoved me to the floor. My head hit the hard marble, the physical pain nothing compared to the shock of his betrayal. He stood over me, his face twisted with fury, protecting her. "Don't you ever lay a hand on her!" he roared. He had put his hands on me. For her. In that moment, all the love I had for him died, replaced by a cold, burning rage. He had taken my dreams, my family's money, and now my dignity. I picked up my phone and made a single call. "Father," I whispered, my voice shaking. "It's over. And I want him ruined."

Ninety-Nine Times, Then No More

This was the ninety-ninth time I caught my husband, Chase Vargas, with another woman in our five-year marriage. I stood in the hotel doorway, numb, tired of the cheap perfume and his cold, familiar eyes. But this time, his mistress, a blonde woman, hissed, "He told me all about you. The pathetic wife he's stuck with because of some business deal. He said he can't stand the sight of you." Her words, meant to hurt, were things I already knew, things Chase had made sure I understood. Still, hearing them from a stranger felt like a new humiliation. She lunged, scratching my face, drawing blood. The sting was a surprising jolt in my numb world. I wrote her a check, a routine part of this pathetic scene. Then my phone rang. It was Chase, calling from across the room. "What are you doing? Are you making a scene? Clean it up and get out. You're embarrassing." He thought I had orchestrated this, that I was the embarrassing one. The betrayal was casual, complete. "I'm tired, Chase," I said, the words finally coming from a place I thought had died. "I want a divorce." He laughed, a cruel sound. "A divorce? Elena, don't be ridiculous. You love me too much to ever leave me." I hung up. He then handed me a signed divorce agreement, telling me his true love, June, my adopted sister, was back. He wanted me to play the dutiful wife for her welcome-home concert. My heart, which I thought had turned to stone, felt a final, crushing blow. He wasn't divorcing me because I wanted it. He was divorcing me for her. I signed the papers. The ninety-ninth time was the last time he would do this to me.

Wedded Lies: The Perfect Trap

I stood frozen in my doorway, staring at the live security feed. It showed my fiancée, Clara, in the secret room she called her "sensitive PR work" space. She was straddling a man, wearing the nightgown I' d bought her. The man was Ryan Hayes, my childhood friend, supposedly dead for three years, now reduced to a vegetative state, hooked up to humming medical machines. My mind reeled. She was having sex with his body. This couldn' t be happening. We were getting married in ten days. She was perfect. Then it all clicked: the "accident" where Ryan attacked me, my mother' s death, Clara nursing me back to health, and my sister Sophia's comforting words, all became a twisted façade. I remembered overhearing Clara and Sophia talking about a "host," a "target," and something called "the system." They needed my signature on the pre-nup, which had a voluntary organ donation clause. My money and my organs were to be used to revive Ryan. My own sister, who had mourned my mother with me, was helping Clara execute this horrifying plan. The women I trusted most had orchestrated this elaborate lie, turning me into a walking bank account and a collection of spare parts for the man who killed my mother. When Sophia texted Clara, "He's home," Clara's passionate façade vanished, replaced by cold calculation, as she adjusted herself before emerging from the room. Later, Clara tried to manipulate me with an expensive watch, dismissing my suggestion to postpone the wedding on the anniversary of my mom's death. Her tone was dismissive, blaming my mother's "weak heart" for her death. Then Sophia, my own sister, threatened me when I expressed my anger at Ryan. I realized I was merely a pawn in their twisted game, destined for sacrifice once my utility ran out. My world shattered. I was nothing but a placeholder, a donor. The casual way they plotted my death, discussing staging an "accident," turning my heart, kidneys, and liver into a "miracle" for Ryan, filled me with a cold, clear rage. A text from my private investigator, "Flight confirmed. You have seven days," finalized my growing resolve. I would turn their perfect plan into their worst nightmare.

Radio Waves, Racing Hearts

As the campus radio station manager, my life was a comfortable, soundproofed bubble of classes and curated playlists, far from the chaotic drama of campus life. I liked it that way. That afternoon, a guy from the drama club borrowed our equipment for a "big, romantic event" on the quad. I thought nothing of it until my phone buzzed with Sarah's frantic shriek: "It's Liam Hayes! He's proposing to Chloe Miller!" The world stopped. Liam. My secret, pathetic daydream. Proposing to Chloe, the confident English major everyone knew was determined to make him hers. And I had handed him the very tools for my own heartbreak. "No!" I whispered, but Sarah' s voice chirped, "Yes! He's got a microphone and everything!" Our microphone. A terrible, insane idea formed as I sprinted to the quad, lungs burning, heart hammering. I had to stop it. Not for him to magically choose me, but because I couldn't let my station' s gear broadcast the end of my foolish hopes. Pushing through the crowd, I zeroed in on our speaker, the master volume. My hand trembled, but then my traitorous heart screamed, "I like him so much it hurts." A horrific screech of feedback erupted, followed by my amplified confession, booming across the entire quad. Silence. A thousand eyes swiveled to me, still outstretched, my fingers accidentally on the talkback button. I had just confessed my deepest crush to the entire campus. To Liam Hayes. My blood ran cold; my life, as I knew it, was over.

Scandal, Love, and Redemption

I' ve loved Liam O' Connell since I was sixteen, a secret crush that deepened into an all-consuming love for my deceased brother Jake' s best friend. For eight long years, he saw me as nothing more than Jake' s kid sister, a responsibility he honored by keeping me at arm' s length, even when my heart ached for more. He gave me his "blessing" when I, heartbroken and exhausted, agreed to marry Ethan-a kind, safe man I hoped would help me finally move on. But then Jake' s hidden journal surfaced, revealing the truth: my brother hadn' t wanted Liam to push me away; he' d wanted us together. Liam' s noble sacrifice was a lie he' d told himself, and me, for a decade. Just as I tried to build a new life, Liam came back, sweeping in with desperate confessions and grand gestures, pulling me back into the chaos I' d tried so hard to escape. Then Olivia, his conniving business partner, arrived, flaunting their "relationship" like a weapon and brutally sabotaging everything I built. I watched as my dreams, my carefully constructed peace, and my deepest desires were twisted into a public scandal, fueled by the very man I couldn' t stop loving. The betrayal, the public humiliation, and the sheer audacity of it all left me fuming, trapped in a nightmare of his making. But I refused to be a victim any longer. This wasn't just about my broken heart; it was about reclaiming my life, my passion, and proving to him-and to myself-that I was no longer a girl to be protected, but a force to be reckoned with.

Reclaiming My Own Life

The first sign something was wrong wasn't a fight, but a cheerful Chime-Chime-Pop from my sister Lily' s phone, a sound I' d never heard before, buzzing with secrets during family dinner. Later, while I painstakingly helped Lily with her biology homework-a subject I'd aced, she struggled with-that same chime rang out again, punctuated by her casual lie: "Just Mom." But Mom's text tone was different, and the metallic taste of a familiar coldness spread through me as my suspicion grew. Then, Lily giggled, phone in hand: "Dad just sent that meme of the cat freaking out. He said it' s you trying to explain biology to me." My blood ran cold as I watched her oblivious smile; the pieces clicked with sickening finality. A secret group chat – "Family Trio" – Mom, Dad, and Lily-bug. Not me. The next morning, armed with a lie and an opportune request for a bakery address, I unlocked my mother's phone with Lily's birthday, and there it was: "Family Trio", pinned at the top. Hundreds of messages, photos of trips I knew nothing about, jokes about my "seriousness," complaints about my work schedule, and coordinating their financial demands: "Had to give Chloe another hundred bucks for her books. When does she start paying us back?" "Don' t forget, Chloe, we need you to chip in for the property tax bill next month. It' s a big one." The betrayal was absolute; I was their ATM, used and discarded. My hands trembling, but with chilling clarity, I screenshot every piece of their casual cruelty, a digital archive of their deceit, then wiped every trace. The confrontation shattered the illusion of family, the truth pouring out like acid, exposing years of neglect and manipulation. My father' s icy threat, "If you' re so unhappy here, Chloe, maybe you should think about finding somewhere else to live," was the undeniable proof. This wasn' t a misunderstanding; it was their nature. I felt a devastating clarity: I was utterly and completely alone in that house, a burden to be cast off. Then came the final demand: two thousand dollars for Lily' s car, almost my entire escape fund. I transferred the money, a piece of my soul, but this was the last time, the last dollar. I was getting out and no one was going to stop me.

Too Late, Hubby, I'm The Tycoon's Darling Now!

For three years, Averie pushed herself through a secret marriage, waiting for the day she could finally wear a white dress and be seen as his wife. The night before she could finally walk down the aisle, he confessed without a hint of hesitation that he was marrying the woman who once rescued him instead. The "fake" divorce agreement she signed for him shattered into a real, icy breakup that finally freed her wounded heart. When he returned in remorse, begging for just one more chance, a ruthless business magnate pulled Averie close and muttered coldly, "You're too late. She's my woman now."

Once The Bride He Discarded, Now The Love He Can't Forget

Five years of devotion ended when Brynn was left at the altar, watching Richard rush to his true love. Knowing she could never thaw his cold heart, Brynn walked away, ready to start over. After a night of drinking, she woke beside the last man she should ever cross-Nolan, her brother's arch-enemy. As she tried to escape, he caught her, murmuring, "You kissed me all night. Leaving isn't an option." The world saw Nolan as cold and distant, but with Brynn, he indulged her every desire. He even bought her a whole village and held her close, his voice low, deep, and endlessly tempting, his robe falling open to reveal his toned abs. "Want to feel it?"

Billionaire Boss? Nah, Just A Possessive Husband!

I just got my billionaire husband to sign our divorce papers. He thinks it's another business document. Our marriage was a business transaction. I was his secretary by day, his invisible wife by night. He got a CEO title and a rebellion against his mother; I got the money to save mine. The only rule? Don't fall in love. I broke it. He didn't. So I'm cashing out. Thirty days from now, I'm gone. But now he's noticing me. Touching me. Claiming me. The same man who flaunts his mistresses is suddenly burning down a nightclub because another man insulted me. He says he'll never let me go. But he has no idea I'm already halfway out the door. How far will a billionaire go to keep a wife he never wanted until she tried to leave?

THE SPITEFUL BRIDE: MARRY TO RIVAL'S SON

"Let's get married," Mia declares, her voice trembling despite her defiant gaze into Stefan's guarded brown eyes. She needs this, even if he seems untouchable. Stefan raises a skeptical brow. "And why would I do that?" His voice was low, like a warning, and it made her shiver even though she tried not to show it. "We both have one thing in common," Mia continues, her gaze unwavering. "Shitty fathers. They want to take what's ours and give it to who they think deserves it." A pointed pause hangs in the air. "The only difference between us is that you're an illegitimate child, and I'm not." Stefan studies her, the heiress in her designer armor, the fire in her eyes that matches the burn of his own rage. "That's your solution? A wedding band as a weapon?" He said ignoring the part where she just referred to him as an illegitimate child. "The only weapon they won't see coming." She steps closer, close enough for him to catch the scent of her perfume, gunpowder and jasmine. "Our fathers stole our birthrights. The sole reason they betrayed us. We join forces, create our own empire that'll bring down theirs." A beat of silence. Then, Stefan's mouth curves into something sharp. "One condition," he murmurs, closing the distance. "No divorces. No surrenders. If we're doing this, it's for life" "Deal" Mia said without missing a beat. Her father wants to destroy her life. She wouldn't give him the pleasure, she would destroy her life as she seems fit. ................ Two shattered heirs. One deadly vow. A marriage built on revenge. Mia Meyers was born to rule her father's empire (so she thought), until he named his bastard son heir instead. Stefan Sterling knows the sting of betrayal too. His father discarded him like trash. Now the rivals' disgraced children have a poisonous proposal: Marry for vengeance. Crush their fathers' legacies. Never speak of divorce. Whoever cracks first loses everything. Can these two rivals, united by their vengeful hearts, pull off a marriage of convenience to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs? Or will their fathers' animosity, and their own complicated pasts tear their fragile alliance apart?

His Unwanted Wife, The World's Coveted Genius

Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."

He Thought I Was A Doormat, Until I Ruined Him

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.