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Roderic Penn

14 Published Stories

Roderic Penn's Books and Stories

Shattered Dreams, Stolen Lives

Shattered Dreams, Stolen Lives

Modern
5.0
The world first saw the crash. A cherry-red sports car, crumpled like a can, embedded in the ornate gates of the prestigious Blackwood Art Gallery. Inside, I was slumped over the wheel, a faint, serene smile on my lips that made no sense. Gallery staff rushed out, their faces pale, trying to pull my eyelids shut. They wouldn't stay closed. My wide, vacant eyes stared out, refusing to be silenced. The police called it a tragic accident. The powerful Blackwood family issued a brief statement, an attempt to smother the truth with their influence. But truth has a way of finding cracks. An intern leaked my autopsy report: tongue surgically removed, knees bruised with calluses, stomach filled not with food, but with gnawed animal bones and phlegm. My death became a national nightmare. People raged online, demanding #JusticeForJaneDoe. I watched as a wispy, translucent soul. Dr. Alex Peterson, the medical examiner, refused to be silenced, seeing past the official story. "This wasn't an accident," he said. "She delivered a message." Pressure from city hall mounted, ordering him to close the case. Then, something impossible happened. The stitches meant to keep my eyes closed snapped, and they opened again, a silent act of defiance. The internet erupted. My spirit couldn't rest. People began digging, finding old articles about "muse-slaves," human beings treated as living art objects. It felt terrifyingly real. Dr. Peterson defied his superiors, ruling my death a homicide. With public outcry, a full investigation began. But every lead was a dead end: no wallet, no phone, disabled GPS, conveniently malfunctioning cameras. I longed to scream names, places. The public's patience wore thin, protestors demanding answers. Then, a radical idea emerged: a "Memory-Reader," a device to access the last images in my brain. Against all odds, the authorities agreed. My body, cryogenically preserved, was placed on a stage. The Blackwood family sat in the front row, an obscenity of feigned innocence. Among them, Michael, my brother, with a troubled look in his eyes. Dr. Peterson fitted a chrome helmet to my head. The monitors flickered to life. Static. Chloe Blackwood's dismissive voice echoed, "What a waste of time. This is boring." But then, a jolt. The static cleared. The world was inside my head. A dimly lit room. My parents and a shadowy figure. "She is the price," my mother said, emotionless. "A daughter for a pigment. We can always have another." A collective gasp filled the auditorium. The truth began to unfold.
More Than Ashes

More Than Ashes

Romance
5.0
The smell of smoke woke me up, a thick, acrid scent clinging to my throat. My heart pounded as sirens pierced the night, a chilling prelude. Three missed calls from Marco, my dad's sous chef. "It' s the restaurant. It' s… there was a fire." I ran, the air growing thick with the smell of burning wood and something chemical, something awful. My world shattered when I saw it: the hollowed-out shell of "The Amber Hearth," my parents' restaurant, my entire life, consumed by flames. A police officer stopped me, but I could only stare at the wreckage, the place my parents worked, lived, and breathed. Weeks later, I was living with Chloe, my food critic girlfriend, in her pristine, minimalist apartment. She supported me, made calls, held me when nightmares struck. "We'll get through this together," she promised. But that promise felt hollow when the simple click-click-whoosh of a gas stove sent me stumbling in terror, and she quickly turned it off, her embrace distant even as she whispered, "I'll be here for you." The cracks widened when she abandoned our quiet anniversary dinner, again, for Daniel, her 'anxiety-ridden' former mentor. "He needs me, Liam," she'd always say, framing his alleged illness as a virtue, my need for her as a selfish demand. I watched her move, efficient and precise, realizing I was just an obligation, a managed crisis she was bored with. Then, a text from my friend: Chloe's rave review of Daniel's new menu just dropped, a "Triumph of a Troubled Genius." The publication date? Last night. Our anniversary. She wasn' t working; she was dining with him, relaunching his career. The anger burned clean and hot; her entire compassionate façade was a calculated deception. When she walked in, I confronted her, the ugly truth filling her perfectly curated apartment: she chose him, lied to me, used my grief as cover. Her icy response, "If that's how you feel, then maybe you should leave," was all I needed. I left. Days later, I saw him letting himself into her apartment, confirming the sickening truth: I was just a convenient cover for their secret affair, a grieving fool in their shared territory. I had defended her, pushed away friends who tried to warn me, all for a lie. My anger, humiliation, and shame fused into a chilling resolve. I wasn't just heartbroken; I was done. This wasn't a relationship; it was a fraud. And now, armed with the brutal truth, I had to build something new, far from her memory.
When Silence Plays The Melody

When Silence Plays The Melody

Modern
5.0
"Molly's recital is her last dream, Jocelyn. Your hands are a perfect match." That' s what Ethan said, calm as if asking for salt, not for me to give up my entire future. We were in his pristine apartment, my cello, my ticket out, leaning against the wall. He wanted me to sacrifice my livelihood, my identity, my very hands, for his childhood friend, Molly, who claimed a rare nerve condition was destroying her dream of being a pianist. I refused, firmly. His handsome face tightened. "Don' t be selfish. I' ve given you everything. A good life, a way out of that hellhole you came from. The least you can do is help my friend." Before I could process the betrayal in his words, to realize I was just a charity case and the bill was due, he invited me to a "support party" for Molly. I drank the glass he handed me, and that was my last clear memory. I woke up on a leather couch, my left hand wrapped in bandages, a sharp, chemical smell in the air. Panic seized me as two of Ethan's friends held me down. Molly stood over me, triumphant, pointing at my bandaged hand. "Guess you won' t be playing that cello anytime soon." I looked at Ethan, my heart shattering, as he stood by the window, his back to me. He had let them cut into me. He had orchestrated this. I tried to move my fingers; they were numb. A deep, terrifying tremor started in my palm, shaking my entire arm. They violently ripped away my chance, my scholarship, my entire life. Why would he do this to me? How could the man I loved, my supposed savior, betray me so cruelly? I was left on the apartment floor, concussed from his shove, my dreams reduced to a tremor and a hospital bill. But I refused to be disposable. He said I was nothing without him, but he was wrong. I grabbed my phone, and for the first time, I chose myself.
The Discarded Wife's Billion-Dollar Comeback

The Discarded Wife's Billion-Dollar Comeback

Romance
5.0
My life, carefully constructed over six blissful years with my amnesiac husband Julian and our sweet son Ethan, felt like a peaceful dream. I had found Julian injured on the roadside years ago, and together we built a loving, albeit simple, existence. Then, a sleek black car, a stark contrast to our humble Ohio home, pulled up outside, its occupants shattering our world. Julian's forgotten, aristocratic mother emerged, and with her presence, his lost memories violently flooded back. He looked at me, his wife, the mother of his child, and his eyes, once full of love, turned to chips of ice, dismissing our entire shared life as an "unfortunate chapter," a mere "embarrassment." His mother coolly offered me a shocking sum—a million dollars—to simply "disappear," while Julian stood by, silent, as his new fiancée, Veronica, openly sneered, calling me a pathetic "charity case." But in that moment of profound betrayal, something extraordinary happened: a terrifying premonition, a vivid flash of my future if I stayed. I saw years of excruciating humiliation, a desolate existence in their grand mansion where I was nothing but a servant, my beloved son Ethan tragically turned against me, and finally, my own confinement in a cold mental institution. The nightmare culminated with older Ethan, his youthful face twisted in pity, raising a syringe to me, whispering, "It's for the best, Mother," as darkness consumed me. Returning to the harsh reality of my porch, the raw pain of the present was strangely dulled, an old scar compared to the horror I had just witnessed. I knew with absolute certainty that I could not, would not, live that devastating fate again. So, when Julian's mother extended the check as a final dismissal, I met her gaze, outwardly calm but with a newfound, steely resolve. "Thank you," I said, my voice steady, then added my decisive condition: a fully funded MBA from a prestigious London university. This wasn't just a betrayal; it was my unexpected rebirth, a radical turning point to forge a future entirely on my own terms.
The Unseen Savior

The Unseen Savior

Romance
5.0
For years, I've endured my ex-fiancé Ethan's cruel abuse, forced into servitude for him and his wife, Chloe. This was my only leverage to secure the life-saving treatment for my little brother, Leo, who battled a rare and fatal illness. But then, Chloe maliciously fabricated evidence, framing me for the mysterious disappearance of Ethan's sister, Olivia, years ago. In a vindictive act of 'justice,' Ethan canceled Leo's experimental therapy, condemning him to an agonizing, preventable death. Leo died in my arms, and with his last breath, my own life began a horrifying countdown; a hidden family curse decreed I had just seven days to live after his passing. Blinded by vengeance, Ethan not only denied me a proper goodbye but seized Leo's body, treating his remains as cold, scientific property. Every moment was a fresh, unbearable humiliation, solidifying his mistaken belief in my guilt and his escalating torment. How could he be so utterly blind, so heartlessly cruel, when he didn't even know the profound truths connecting us? He had no idea about the inexplicable, fatal co-dependency I shared with Leo, nor that years ago, I was his anonymous bone marrow donor, literally saving his life during his own critical illness. Just as all hope faded, and I lay dying, imprisoned in a dark, cold cellar, a ghost from the past miraculously reappeared: Olivia. She's alive, and now, she's ready to finally expose the horrifying truth about Chloe's criminal family, the real murderers of our parents, and Chloe's intricate web of manipulative lies that have shattered my life and threaten to end it.
The Platinum Card Betrayal

The Platinum Card Betrayal

Romance
5.0
My son, Sam, practically vibrated with excitement. "Future Leaders Summer Institute, Dad! Can you believe it?" I smiled, a rare, soft expression. I’d made sure of it; a quiet call to the university, a valuable donation – a small price for Sam’s future, far from my company’s shadow. I preferred my quiet life as a rare book appraiser, anyway. The donation was anonymous. A week later, Sam’s face fell. "Dad… they… they gave my spot away." A cold knot tightened in my stomach. The email spoke of "a significant new benefactor" and "Mr. Rick Sterling’s generous contribution" for his son, RJ Sterling. Rick Sterling. I knew that name from my wife, Tiffany’s, obsessive social media. Then, the punch to the gut: "$150,000 processed via a platinum credit card." The last four digits were sickeningly familiar. It was Tiffany’s supplementary card. My money. She’d used my money to buy Sam’s spot for someone else. My own son, crushed because of my wife’s blatant betrayal. A quiet rage, cold and sharp, began to build. This wasn't just about a summer program; it was a theft, a deep personal wound. Dean Holloway, the smarmy director, would be at the welcome reception tonight. He clearly enabled this. I looked at Sam’s devastated face. "Get dressed, Sam. We’re going to that reception." Sam looked confused. "But Dad, I didn’t get in." My voice was calm, but with an edge he’d never heard. I needed to see this. I needed to understand the true depth of Tiffany’s involvement and Rick Sterling’s arrogance. My son’s disappointment was a raw wound. I would make this right.
The Discarded Wife's Return

The Discarded Wife's Return

Romance
5.0
Our crystal chandeliers glittered in our San Francisco mansion. It was our tenth anniversary party, a celebration of a decade of my supposedly perfect marriage. Then, Richard stood by the grand staircase, his arm around a visibly pregnant woman I didn’t recognize. Jessica Wang, his new PR manager, beamed, placing a hand on her belly. His voice, smooth and practiced, silenced the room as he announced, “Emily and I are expecting!” The ensuing wave of murmurs and Jessica’s proud smile clarified the brutal truth. The humiliation was immediate and public. But nothing compared to the depths of his callous disregard that followed. He forced me to move into a guest room, demanded I cater to his mistress's whims, and even stepped over me when I collapsed from a heart attack. The ultimate betrayal came when he *forced* me, with my rare O-negative blood and congenital heart defect, to undergo a medically dangerous blood donation – for *her*. My life force, my very existence, was merely a disposable convenience for his new family. I was supposed to be a devoted wife, yet how could the man I spent ten years with be so utterly monstrous, so devoid of basic humanity? But as I lay weak in the hospital, gasping for air, a quiet defiance ignited within me. With my meticulously accumulated 'freedom fund,' and the unwavering clandestine support of a loyal friend, I knew this wasn't just an escape. I was going to dismantle his meticulously built empire, piece by excruciating piece, finally reclaiming my life.