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Caroline Fisher, the renowned socialite of St. Louis, became a laughingstock after a single word shattered her wedding. Six years of perseverance yielded only a feeble "sorry." With a knowing smile, Caroline declared, "I'm certain he'll return, but this time, I won't wait any longer." Amid her father's coma and vultures circling her inheritance, Caroline made a fateful decision—to wed the formidable and dreaded man of St. Louis. The world deemed him cold and ruthless, yet this fierce tiger proved unexpectedly affectionate, becoming her staunch protector. "What brings true happiness?" she pondered. "To be cherished as a treasure by someone, despite the world's vilification." 
In her past life, she suffered at the hands of a heartless man and a shameless woman, leaving her to die with a vengeful heart. However, the universe gives her a second chance at life, and she emerges with a burning desire for revenge, vowing to make that jerk and his mistress pay for their sins. He, the seemingly idle pleasure-seeker, hides a sinister power, pulling the strings behind the scenes. When he comes across her on his path to success, she claims to be able to help him ruin the Thomas family. He sees her as nothing, but a "burden". Little does he know that the woman, who is useless in his eyes, holds the power to turn his life upside down. ...The man's eyes darken as he challenges her, "Ariana, do you realize there's a line of women who would do anything to bear my child? If you marry me, I won't accept any responsibility.""Rest assured, when the child is born, I will raise it myself!" 
Lucius White, one of Windmere's most prominent men, suddenly learns that he has been married for a year. He slaps a divorce agreement on the table, grabs his total stranger of a wife, Valerie Collins, and drags her to the courthouse.
However, on the very day they plan to divorce, two bolts of lightning strike. The first bolt turns their marriage certificate to ashes. The second bolt crashes the courthouse's network. Unable to separate, they have no choice but to live under the same roof.
One day, Lucius uncovers not one but several secrets about his wife.
He learns that the elusive Phantom Healer Thirteen Needles is, in fact, his wife.
The genius hacker known as Zero? She's also his wife.
The top talisman maker in the mystic arts world? Still his wife.
The legendary grandmaster of ancient martial arts? Again, his wife.
Even the modern medicine prodigy who has brought glory to the country time and again also turns out to be his wife.
Lucius goes online and posts, "My wife has so many hidden identities that I've lost count. How am I supposed to deal with this?" 
I dive into the ocean to save Preston Gale. After doing CPR on him in front of everyone, the wedding that is meant for my cousin, Roxanne Shaw, somehow falls to me instead.
On our wedding night, Preston prefers to drown himself in alcohol rather than spend the night with me.
I'm foolish enough to think that if I keep at it, he'll come around eventually.
Three years later, Roxanne returns, holding a child who looks so much like Preston that it stops my heart for a second.
Only then do I finally understand that while I spent that wedding night alone, he was with her.
"Rox, I know these years have been hard on you. I'll make it right. I'll make sure Lexi gives your place as Mrs. Gale back to you," Preston says.
I tell him I'm pregnant, too, hoping it might change something. However, it doesn't.
He coldly tells me to abort it, before forcing me onto the operating table, ending two lives at once.
When I open my eyes again, I'm back on the day Preston fell into the sea.
Soaked through, he's lying there, and I scream Roxanne's name into the crowd, my voice cracking with desperation. 


After her miscarriage, Sabrina Frye turns into the wife Nester Blackwell has always demanded.
She stops sharing the small joys of her day and the frantic, late-night calls when he doesn't come home.
Even when she is framed in a street scam and taken to the police station, the officers tell her she can leave if a family member posts bail, but she tells them that she has no family.
She calmly spends the next seven days in a cold cell.
A week later, the heavy iron gates of the station open with a metallic clang at dusk. As Sabrina steps down the stairs, a black Maybach screeches to a halt in front of her.
The door swings open, and Nester steps out. Dressed in a tailored suit, he's tall, with near-perfect body proportions. Like always, he looks cold and untouchable. 
I marry the same man seven times, and he divorces me seven times for the same woman.
He does this so he can go on vacation with his first love as a supposedly single man while also protecting her from being the subject of scandalous gossip.
The first time we divorce, I attempt to take my own life to force him into staying. Despite being sent to the hospital in an ambulance, he didn't even bother to visit me.
The second time we divorce, I humble myself by applying to be an assistant at his company, all for the chance to see him more.
By the sixth time, I had already learned to quietly pack up my belongings and move out of his house.
At first, I was hysterical, but then I began to concede, and eventually, that grew to numb acceptance. Yet, time and again, he would remarry me on our previously agreed-upon date, only for history to repeat itself.
Finally, one day, after I hear that his first love is returning to the country again, I voluntarily hand him the divorce agreement.
Just like before, he promises to remarry me again on a certain date. But he doesn't know that this time, I'll be leaving for good. 
Abigail Parker has only one impression of the Parker family—struggling older brothers, a blind mother, a father who loves to cry, and a broken home. Everything about them screams poverty.She shoulders the crushing burden of keeping the family afloat, desperately trying to piece together something resembling a whole from all the fragments.Some time later, Abigail is glancing at a towering skyscraper when her eldest brother casually says, "Like it? It's yours."She looks up at the night sky, and her second brother remarks, "See that star? I named it after you."She attends a concert, and when the singer removes their disguise, her third brother's face is revealed. When she looks toward her fourth brother, he shyly says, "I have a mine I'd like to give you..."Good God! Her entire family consists of hidden powerhouses. She's the only one who's actually struggling.Just as she's about to flee this madness, the man people say is her fiancé blocks her path. "Come home with me, sweetheart. Let me take care of you." 
Kiara Middleton, at just nine years old, is already a star among her peers. Blessed with beauty and intelligence, she seems to have it all. But beneath her confident facade, she faces bullying from her peers, a challenge she tries to overcome with grace. When Kiara accompanies her parents and triplet elder brothers to the crowning of the new twin alpha kings in the werewolf multiverse, her life takes an unexpected turn. Kayden and Jayden Wittmoore, the future alpha kings, have been searching for their Luna Queen since they turned eighteen, but with no success. They had almost given up hope until they lay their eyes on Kiara at their coronation. The only problem? She's just a nine-year-old pup, unable to feel the mate bond. As Kayden and Jayden face the ultimate test of patience, they are determined to wait for Kiara to come of age. But fate has other plans in store for them, and they find themselves embarking on a journey filled with challenges, obstacles, and sacrifices. Can they navigate the complexities of their unconventional situation and fulfill their destiny as leaders of the wolf population in the human and werewolf multiverse? Join Kiara, Kayden, and Jayden on an epic adventure as they navigate the world of werewolf politics, face their inner demons, and discover the true meaning of love in "Twin Alpha Kings Pup Mate." This paranormal romance will captivate your heart, leaving you eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover what lies ahead. Don't miss out on this enchanting tale of soulmates, fate, and true love that will leave you breathless! 

When I caught my boyfriend of four years in bed with my stepsister, I snapped. After teaching them both a lesson,I drowned my sorrows at a bar,where I met a dead-gorgeous stranger.
One steamy night later...He tried to pay me. Like I was some kind of escort.
"You're the worst I've ever had," I sneered, lying through my teeth. "Practice more before taking clients." Then I fled.
But fate wasn't done with me. That stranger? He's my company's new CEO. Oh, and he's a werewolf. An Alpha werewolf.
I just wanted to keep my head down and avoid him.Then the pregnancy test turned I pregnant.
My Alpha Boss slapped down a marriage contract and demanded I move in with him.
Before moving in, I taunted: "Your skills were worth $150, max."
After living together, he growled: "How's my performance now, wife?"
I, trembling lying oh the bed: "Please... have mercy!"
From one-night disaster to carrying the Alpha's heir, I never expected my life to turn out like this. But one thing's certain,my Alpha Boss is determined to prove he's worth way more than $150 a night... 
For six years, Sloane Veyra played the silent Luna, cooking, cleaning, raising a son who never loved her, while her mate, Alpha Damon Blackthorn, gave his heart to Lyra, the Omega he called his first love.
Until the night she walked away.
She left behind the man who betrayed her, the child who chose another woman as “mother,” and the bond that chained her in misery. But Damon won’t let her go so easily… and fate places another Alpha in her path, one far more ruthless, far more dangerous, and determined to claim her.
Two Alphas. One broken bond.
And a Luna who will never bow again. 



He's cold and reserved, while she's wild and free.Driven by revenge, Giselle Holt weaves her way into his life, teasing him without shame and manipulating him with cunning and deceit. She ruins his engagement party, drives away the woman he loves, and tramples on his boundaries again and again.One late night, he corners her against the wall. "Giselle, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"She smirks, sly and teasing.Just like that, she barges into his life and does as she pleases, dragging him down from his pedestal, piece by piece, until nothing remains. 
A prince, rumored to be son of the Devil.
He is the definition of Danger.
He is the Darkness itself.
A princess. Imprisoned in her own home, only to come out once she gets married.
But married to whom?
Once upon a time, the Devil fell in love with one of the King’s many wives. One night he went to her room disguised as her husband and made love to her. She got pregnant with his child. Knowing this The King ordered her execution believing his wife cheated on him, but then the Devil appeared to the king making him a deal. In exchange for great power for his Kingdom, the King will let his wife Sire The Devil’s Child. The King who was greedy for power agrees to the deal and his Kingdom becomes one of the most powerful Kingdoms and the Devil’s Child the seventh Prince of the Kingdom.
Being a princess probably sounds nice. A life full of luxury, beautiful dresses and nice shoes but for Hazel, there is nothing nice about being a princess. She can never go outside the palace, she can never have friends, she can never eat or say or wear whatever she wants and she can never choose the person she is going to marry. Soon she’s getting married to a man she has never met, a prince rumored to be Son of the Devil. 
She’s a deadly assassin with no mercy. He’s a ruthless Alpha with no time for weakness. But when fate mates them… all hell breaks loose.Samantha Stone is a Were-Vamp hybrid, the most chaotic of Alpha Zoe’s infamous sextuplets, and a cold-blooded assassin with a perfect kill record. Stealth, power, and zero emotional attachments—until a prank gone wrong lands her deep inside enemy territory.Her mission? Infiltrate the Blue Moon Pack. Keep eyes on Alpha Kyler Arrow. Don’t get caught.Too bad she does.Worse? He’s her fated mate.Kyler—genius Alpha, lethal assassin, and a control freak with a temper—should kill her on sight. Instead, he’s drawn to her fire. But just as sparks fly and secrets start to unravel, fate throws its cruellest twist yet…Samantha loses her memory.Now Kyler must protect the girl who tried to sabotage him—the girl who doesn’t remember who she is, what she’s done, or who she is to him. With enemies closing in and her forgotten past threatening to destroy everything, can Kyler convince her to trust him before it's too late?Action-packed, hilariously wild, emotionally intense, and scorching romantic—Bonded To The Dangerous Alpha will leave you laughing, crying, and gasping for more. 


In Noelle Liddell's past life, she obeyed her brothers' every command. Yet they exploited her and stepped all over her pride so they could dote on Xenia Quigley, their fake sister. Noelle is their birth sister, yet she ultimately dies after being kicked out of her home.
After being reborn, Noelle follows one principle—she stops being such a Good Samaritan, and she's not going to forgive or make up with her brothers. They can go do whatever they want as long as they leave her alone.
Her eldest brother, Donovan Liddell, wonders why his health has deteriorated recently. It's because Noelle doesn't bring him his medication and supplements anymore.
Her second brother, Frank Liddell, wonders why his company's firewall keeps acting up. It's because Noelle doesn't maintain it anymore.
Her third brother, Carl Liddell, wonders why the development of the new drug is going so slowly. It's because Noelle isn't testing it anymore.
Her fourth brother, Blake Liddell, wonders why the scripts he's getting are so horrible. It's because Noelle isn't writing them anymore.
Her fifth brother, Wyatt Liddell, wonders why his prosthetic limb is so terrible. It's because Noelle isn't producing them anymore.
Her sixth brother, Lucas Liddell, wonders why his team lost. It's because Noelle quit.
The six men grovel at Noelle's feet and beg for her forgiveness. "Come home, Nelly. Blood is thicker than water—we're a family!"
Noelle sneers. "You only know that you're wrong after everything's gone to shit. Sorry, but I'm not going to forgive any of you!" 


Bethany Porter has been in a clandestine relationship with her best friend's uncle, Noah Vazquez, for three years, only to hear her best friend, Holly Vasquez, say, "My uncle's seeing someone, Beth."
It hits her then that she has been nothing but a substitute for the last three years.
To reclaim her late father's inheritance, Bethany agrees to her mother, Diana Reeves', arrangement and goes on a blind date. Unbeknownst to her, she sits at the wrong table.
"Let's get married. We can go our separate ways in a year," Bethany suggests.
Silas Brennan arches his brow. "Sure. Since there's still time, why don't we go get our marriage license now?"
…
Regret twists in Noah's chest when he sees the ring on Bethany's finger. His eyes mist over as he seizes her wrist. "Can you give me another chance, Beth?"
Before the gentle woman can respond, the man behind her draws her in, his arms settling around her slender waist. "Whoa there, are you trying to be a homewrecker, Mr. Vazquez? Sorry, but that's my wife's hand you're holding. Lay a hand on her again, and I'll cut it off!"
Noah belatedly realizes that the man who stole his girlfriend is his archenemy. 
Mercity's richest man, Adam Alvarez, has been comatose for three years. His wife, Celine Tate, cares for him throughout. But when he wakes up, she finds a flirty text in his phone. His first love is back in the country.
His friends, who have always looked down on Celine, laugh about the matter. "It's time for the ugly little duckling to get kicked to the curb now the swan is back."
Only then does Celine realize Adam has never loved her. She's nothing but a poor joke.
So, one night, Mr. Alvarez receives a divorce agreement from his wife. The reason for the divorce—there's something wrong with his health.
Adam goes after Celine, his expression dark. That's when he discovers her standing under gleaming lights, looking gorgeous in a long dress. She's suddenly become a medical expert.
When she sees him, she smiles. "Are you here to see an andrology specialist, Mr. Alvarez?" 


The day after Avery Sterling is falsely accused of running over Britney Walker, her husband, Calvin Grant, and their two sons suspend her younger brother above a giant vat of boiling oil, threatening to drop him in alive.Avery panics and rushes forward to save her brother, but the bodyguards block her path and hold her back."Do you admit what you did?" Calvin asks coldly, standing nearby in a sharp, tailored suit. "Will you ever dare hurt Britney again?""I didn't hit her!" Avery cries, struggling against the guards restraining her. "Calvin, please, let Henry go! He's only 18 years old! He just got into Westbridge University!" 





My husband, Scott Lemire, admires the young, newly hired nurse at the hospital. Her name is Yvonne West, and he promotes her to a full-fledged doctor, even though she has only worked here for two days.
His colleagues urge him to reconsider his decision, but he insists that Yvnonne has the skills for it. He also condemns his colleagues for being inept and prone to jealousy.
However, Scott's mother, Agatha Kincaid, is suddenly involved in a car crash and breaks her leg. Yvonne gives Agatha the wrong blood bag, causing cardiac arrest and ultimately leading to her death.
After I check the blood compatibility log, I gnash my teeth in anger and press charges against Yvonne right there and then. The next day, however, Scott brings a group of men to the funeral home, wreaking havoc and forcing Agatha's casket open.
"Whitney, how can you be this vicious? Yvonne didn't mean for it to happen. Your mom is very old anyway. If she's dead, then so be it. You didn't have to ruin Yvonne's career!
"Your mom won't be happy if she knows the kind of crap you're doing! Sign the letter of understanding now, or I'll divorce you this instant!"
I try to stop Scott's men from ruining the funeral home as I question him.
"Are you out of your mind? This is Mom's funeral!"
Scott sneers and says, "I will do the same if this is my mom's funeral, let alone your mom's!"
And yet, he shows up at my place later, kneeling in tears and begging me to seek justice for Agatha. 
Arya Vitale, the daughter of his sworn enemy was supposed to be a bargaining chip
A pawn in a blood war but from the moment Giovanni De-Santis laid eyes on her, he didn’t see a pawn… he saw his
So he took her
Stole her from her wedding, forced her into a contract marriage, and branded her with his name in every way that mattered
To the world, it was a business strategy
To him she was never meant to be his, it was an obsession
But she isn’t the fragile princess he expected. She’s smart, sharp, hot-headed, sassy, and far too good at making him feel things he buried long ago
And when she runs away he hunts her
Because Giovanni doesn’t lose
Not his empire
Not his war
And never the woman he’s marked as his own
But some wars can’t be won with bullets
Some secrets refuse to stay buried
And the deadliest betrayal may not come from his enemies at all…
What happens when the one thing he can’t control
is the only thing that could destroy him is the only thing that could destroy him?
And a war that demands blood….even if it’s hers. 
Liora once believed that her marriage to Adrian would last forever, until slander destroyed everything. In one night, she lost her husband, her family, and her self respect. She was kicked out of her home while pregnant and nearly lost her life. When the world closed its doors on her, Liora chose one thing: to survive for the sake of her unborn child.
Years later, she returned with a new identity and an unwavering resolve. She rebuilt her life from scratch, raised Nolan alone, and buried the name that had once destroyed her. Yet fate brought her back, straight to the city that had once cast her out.
An unexpected encounter between Adrian and Nolan reopens a past he had been avoiding. The undeniable resemblance triggers truth after truth to be revealed, including the betrayal hidden behind Serena's name. As the Vale family's secrets are exposed and danger approaches, Liora finds herself caught between two men: Adrian, the father of her child, and Damien, the unexpected protector who appears as she is building a new life.
Amidst a storm of threats, conspiracies, and love that never truly dies, Liora must choose: to move forward without looking back, or to reopen the door that once consumed her entirely. As Nolan's safety is threatened, all the wounds, longing, and regrets force them to face the reality that the family that once shattered might still be able to stand again.
But this time, Liora won't let anyone bring her down again. 
When my stepsister, Lucy Sloven, frames me for triggering her allergic reaction, my three brothers force me into a cramped, airless cellar and seal the door with chains.
I slam my fists against the cellar door, pleading with them to let me out.
My eldest brother, Aaron Caldwell, a powerful figure in the business world, snaps coldly, "I usually turn a blind eye when you bully Luce, but you knew she was allergic to seafood and still made her eat it. Are you trying to kill her? Stay in there and reflect on your actions!"
My second brother, Bruce Caldwell, a rising pop star, and my third brother, Clark Caldwell, a genius painter, scoff in unison. "Someone as vicious as you still dares to play the victim. Stay in there and suffer!"
With that, they scoop up the trembling Lucy and rush her to the hospital.
As time drags on, the oxygen dwindles. Every breath becomes a struggle until I suffocate to death inside.
Three days later, when my brothers return from the hospital with Lucy, they finally remember me.
They have no idea that I have already died from oxygen deprivation in that narrow cellar. 



When a wife cheats on their husband and gets pregnant with another man's child, the husband will usually chase her out of the home and ask for a divorce. However, Leon Wolf's situation is a little different. He is 26 years old this year, and he has been married for three years. He lives with his wife and her family who treat him like a slave most of the time. One day, his wife told him that she got pregnant, and he was chased out of the home. Filled with resentment and humiliation over how he had been treated, he found himself wandering all the way to the cemetery, where he saw two men attempting to assassinate a beautiful woman. In his bid to save her, Leon received a fatal stab wound on his chest and dragged one of the men with him into a nearby river…Leon did not resurface even though the woman had waited for a long time, so she believed that Leon had probably drowned. Before she left, she called out optimistically to the river, "My name is Iris Young. If you're still alive, come and see me sometime…"Beneath the water's surface, a soft voice said, "Iris… What a beautiful name…" 
My breath caught as his lips claimed mine."I... I accept your terms,” I trembled as he caressed my cheek. My brain was in a mess and all could hear was his whisper."Liana, you're mine!"***As a 22-year old Alpha’s daughter, I was forced to accept an arranged marriage with an disgusting old man. To find a way out, I made a deal with a mysterious Alpha -- He would free me from my fate, and I would carry a child for him.What I didn't know, was that the handsome stranger I made a deal with was not a savior, but a devil!***“Liana, please let me explain.”“No,” I whispered as I closed my eyes against the pain and disappointment. I looked at my swollen belly, my heart broke for our unborn child.But, I just couldn’t stomach one more lie.“We had a deal,” he reminded me harshly. “You can’t just walk away now.”I smiled bitterly at him. "Yes, I can."A Deal with the Mysterious Alpha is created by A.B Elwin, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author. 

Cercei's eighteen years of existence were marred by excruciating pain and suffering solely because of her uncanny resemblance to Vienna, the Alpha's daughter. Cercei found it unbearably cruel that she possessed the same beauty as Vienna, which made Vienna feel insecure, leading her to subject Cercei to relentless torment.Despite the numerous hardships, Cercei received love and care from her parents, and she remained humble. Although their Alpha never respected them and treated them as mere servants, her family found happiness. However, everything changed dramatically on her eighteenth birthday when their Alpha ruthlessly killed her father without a valid reason and mercilessly crushed his heart underfoot after digging it out.Enraged and seeking revenge, Cercei felt powerless until she encountered the King Alpha of the North, whom she slept with. This chance encounter changed her life abruptly, cracking all the hidden secrets and lies her mother had carefully concealed for eighteen years. The revelation shattered Cercei's belief in her perfect family and parents, leaving her questioning everything she had ever known.#Caught in an Unexpected Romance Writing Contest 




Three years ago, I, Zara Yaxley, gave birth to a stillborn baby.
My husband, Steve Griffin, set up a private chapel at home to grieve. From then on, he becomes a pious man and embraces a celibate lifestyle in memory of our dead child. As a result, we only sleep together once a month.
No matter how I flirt or seduce him, he remains unmoved.
One night, I stand outside the door and see him gazing at a photo of his first love. It turns out that Steve isn't an unfeeling man. He just feels nothing for me.
So, I trick him into signing the divorce agreement and disappear from his world completely.
Later on, I receive news about him going crazy trying to find me.
When we meet again, it is at his uncle's wedding. I am happy and radiant in an elegant wedding gown, while he is immensely upset. His eyes are reddened as he stubbornly refuses to call me "Aunt Zara". 
Lila Hart has loved Dorian Blake for five years, yet it only takes an afternoon for her to decide to leave him. That day, she kept replaying the video of Dorian casually giving a bracelet he always wears to his so-called sister.
Lila calmly asks for a breakup, but Dorian thinks she's just throwing a tantrum. Later, he hears that Lila went through hell and back to get the bracelet for him.
That day itself, he flies to the place where she got the bracelet and sees the wish she wrote and hung on a tree. "I wish Dorian's life is smooth sailing and that he gets everything he wants!"
Someone sees the almighty Dorian get on his knees before Lila, pressing his forehead to her fingers. He pleads hoarsely, "Please love me once more, Lila."
The door behind her opens, and Kieran Morgan, the CEO of Morgan Group, pulls her into his arms. "Sorry, but you're out of chances." 
Vespera Gildon has witnessed Luke Munoz's unwavering love, but she's also experienced his betrayal.
She remains silent, waiting for the right moment—until she tricks him into signing the divorce papers.
When their marriage ends, she looks at him calmly and delivers the final blow. "I don't want you anymore, Luke. Get out of my life."
Luke stands frozen, as if struck by lightning. Panic flashes in his reddened eyes. He tears the divorce papers into shreds. "Who said anything about getting divorced? I won't agree to this!"
…
Dominic Reid is a powerful tycoon, a man far beyond Vespera's reach.
She never intends to provoke him, yet fate keeps throwing them together.
At a grand banquet, she drunkenly tugs at his tie by accident. Instead of pulling away, he leans in, his voice low and teasing against her ear. "Your ex-husband is watching. Are you sure you want to be this… bold?" 




After dating Isaac Slater for two years, Cassidy Sherman finds out that he has been pretending to be poor and has been toying with her feelings.
Cassidy thought Isaac was a college student who didn't even have enough money to buy food. But it turns out he can easily buy another woman a 300-thousand-dollar bag without batting an eye.
She hears Isaac say, "She's from a single-parent household, so she yearns for fatherly love. I'm just playing along with her so that she feels happy being in a relationship. Of course I won't marry her."
When Cassidy's mom is diagnosed with stomach cancer, she tries borrowing money from Isaac. However, he continues to insist that he's broke and doesn't have money.
Cassidy gives up on him and marries the cool and abstinent Stefan Archer, the promising heir of the Archer family.
Later on, Isaac drinks so much that his stomach bleeds. He calls Cassidy, hoping to get back together with her.
"She's asleep," Stefan says frostily over the phone. "If there's anything, just tell me."
…
Cassidy assumes what she and Stefan share is merely a marriage of convenience, where they each get what they need from each other.
But she finds out later that Stefan has been secretly in love with her for many years. 

The traffic on the highway is at a standstill, and my two-month-old son, Benjamin Wagner, is wailing with hunger.
When I reach for the hypoallergenic formula I'd prepared, I find expired dog food instead. I begin scrambling for the formula, but my husband, Isaac Wagner, stops me.
"I gave the formula to Nancy because her dog's been having stomach issues lately. Just find something else to feed Benjamin for now. Nancy's dog cost 30 thousand dollars, so it deserves the two-thousand-dollar formula. Benjamin is a boy—he needs to learn to tough it out."
I yank my arm free from his grip and hiss, "Benjamin has severe allergies. He's reactive to over 200 substances and needs to drink the hypoallergenic formula. He's only two months old! He can't even handle solid food yet! You took his special formula to feed a dog. Do you want him to starve to death?"
Isaac frowns in annoyance. "Nancy's parents are gone. Rocky is the only family she has left. What's wrong with letting it have a little formula to ease its stomach? You're a mother. How can you be so heartless?"
I'm about to dash out of the car. "Is our son's life worth less than a dog's?"
Isaac slaps me and yells, "Our son will only grow strong if he experiences a little hunger and cold. It won't kill him to miss a few meals."