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Short stories Books for Women

Bestsellers Ongoing Completed
Laced with lies

Laced with lies

Juliet leaned against the weathered rail of the boardwalk, the salty breeze tangling her hair as she closed her eyes. Allen's laughter echoed in her mind-quiet, low, the kind that wrapped around her ribs and stayed. They used to sit on this very spot, passing sketches between them, dreaming of galleries and quiet lives. He had called her "wild with restraint," a phrase she never understood until he was gone. She could still feel the warmth of his hand in hers, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her art. "Don't vanish," he had whispered. And yet, she had. The town of Bridgeport hadn't changed much in eight years. The same white cottages lined the coast, the same gulls circled overhead, and the same scent of seaweed and cinnamon buns from Margie's Diner floated on the wind. It was Juliet who had shifted, reformed, rebuilt herself in cities where no one knew her name. She turned back from the rail and walked toward the cluster of buildings that made up the town's center. Her father's campaign posters were pasted on nearly every pole-Lewis Johnson for State Senate. The sight made her stomach twist. Juliet had returned for three reasons: to sell her late mother's house, to visit Allen's grave, and to face the past long enough to escape it for good. But the house had not welcomed her. Dusty, echoing, full of old canvases she'd never finished, the rooms felt like frozen whispers of a girl she no longer was. She reached Margie's and stepped inside, the bell over the door chiming like an old friend. A few heads turned. A pause. Then came the hush. "Juliet Johnson?" Margie stepped from behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron, eyes wide. "Well, I'll be. You're a ghost." Juliet smiled faintly. "Just visiting." Margie's hug was warm and cinnamon-scented. "Your daddy'll be glad to know you're in town." Juliet doubted that. "I'll stop by." Margie gave her a booth and a slice of cherry pie without asking. As she ate, Juliet stared at the walls. Photos from decades past filled them: fishermen, town fairs, prom queens, and one image in particular-a black-and-white shot of Allen and Juliet on the boardwalk, his arm draped around her shoulder, both laughing mid-sentence. It hurt to look at. So she didn't. The next morning, Juliet walked to the cemetery on the edge of town, her sketchpad tucked under her arm. She passed rows of sun-faded headstones until she reached Allen's. The marker was modest-Allen Graves, Beloved Son, Dreamer, 1989–2017. At its base were seashells, dried flowers, and a small bundle of pencils bound by twine. She knelt. Ran her fingers over the name. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have left the way I did." There was no reply, of course. Just the distant crash of waves and the rustling of dune grass. But Juliet opened her sketchbook anyway and began to draw. A boy at peace. A sea that never stopped moving. She didn't hear the footsteps until they were close. A small voice broke the silence. "Are you an artist?" Juliet turned. A boy stood a few feet away, freckled, maybe ten years old, holding a crumpled bag of marbles. He looked like Allen had once-same dark hair, same curious eyes. "I am," she said. "My name's Marco. My granddad's buried over there." He pointed. "What's your name?" "Juliet." He nodded solemnly, then peered at the sketch. "He looks nice." "He was." Marco looked at the grave. "You must've loved him." Juliet didn't answer right away. "I did. In ways I didn't understand until I couldn't tell him anymore." Marco sat cross-legged beside her, uninvited but not unwelcome. "I think when you draw someone, it means you still love them." Juliet smiled. "You might be right." They sat there for a while, two strangers in quiet company. When Juliet finally stood, Marco said, "You should come to the boardwalk fair. It's tomorrow night. My mom says it's the best thing about this town." Juliet hesitated, then nodded. "Maybe I will." Later that afternoon, she found herself in her father's office. Lewis Johnson stood behind his desk, speaking into a headset, gesturing toward charts on a whiteboard. Politics still clung to him like cologne. Juliet waited until he noticed her. He froze mid-sentence. "Juliet," he said, removing the headset. "Hello, Dad." He crossed the room in two strides and pulled her into a surprisingly firm hug. "It's been too long." She stiffened, then relaxed. "Eight years." "You could've called." "You could've asked why I left." A beat passed. He didn't answer. Instead, he motioned to a chair. "You look well." "So do you. Campaigning suits you." "It's exhausting." He smiled thinly. "But rewarding. We're close." Juliet nodded, unsure what to say. So many unspoken things between them. He cleared his throat. "Your brother's organizing the fair tomorrow. It's part of the campaign. You should come. Reconnect." "Reconnect with who?" "With the town. With you
THE DIFFERENT SHADES OF WHITE- A LOVE

THE DIFFERENT SHADES OF WHITE- A LOVE

"Why are you being so mean to your new bride?" I demanded ruefully. He smirked in a menacing and ominous way. His grip on my jaw tightened. "I don't acknowledge you as my wife. You're just a burden that I have taken in." he claimed bluntly. "What?" I murmured. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.He was making me realize my insignificant worth. This proves that he is against this marriage. His expression turned sardonic. "I didn't agree to this. I just married you due to some circumstances. But I don't want to get myself involved with you. So stay out of my way." He warned in a very precise tone that sent Goosebumps down my arm. The aura around him was gloomy and threatening. He stood up straight. I tried to climb on my feet. "Remember this. I am not bound to anything, least of all you. But since you have been bound to me and given my name, then it can't be helped." He spoke. Life is extremely unpredictable and it tends to crush you ruthlessly with such unpredictability. Khadijah is a victim of the consequences of the unpredictability of life. Khadijah, a seventeen year old teenager, lost her family in an accident and is taken in by her relatives. But due to unwanted circumstances, they marry her off and send her away to the United States. Sweet innocent khadijah must adjust to her new lifestyle now. On the other hand, Shehzad is an independent, ambitious, domineering millionaire who thinks of love and marriage as nothing but burdens. Seeking nothing but revenge against all those who did him wrong, Shehzad will use every obstacle he can in order to tackle with his enemies especially when his life is on the line everyday. What happens when these two individuals are married? The story of an impossible, irreproachable love.