Is 'The Hundredth Joke' Based On A True Story?

Anna McCallaway agreed to marry Dylan Danforth to save her father’s company from bankruptcy. For three years, Anna was the only one who loved their marriage. Meanwhile, Dylan constantly pressured her to divorce him so he could marry Lea Green—Anna’s own stepsister. After years of trying to hold on to a cold and loveless marriage, Anna finally gave up. But before signing the divorce papers, she made one condition. 100 days. 100 wishes. Dylan had to remain her husband and fulfill every single one of them. Assuming it was nothing more than Anna’s final attempt to hold on to him, Dylan agreed. But as the days passed, Dylan began to realize that Anna was hiding something from him. And when the truth finally came to light, it might already be too late for him to save their marriage. Or worse... It might be too late to hold on to the woman he had never truly cared about.

Evelyn Hayes has spent three years as a “invisible wife” to billionaire Arthur Garrison, living in a marriage that exists only on paper. When she is diagnosed with a terminal illness and told she only has months left, she offers him one final deal: one hundred days of his time in exchange for signing their divorce papers. Arthur agrees, eager to finally be free, completely unaware that he is counting down the days to her death. But as they spend time together, Arthur begins to see Evelyn differently, and the freedom he once wanted no longer feels important. With Evelyn quietly slipping away and time running out, Arthur is forced to face a choice he never expected to make. When the hundred days end, will he still want his freedom—or will it already be too late to save her?

I made a deal with Sonia Quindt—the billionaire CEO. After I'd proposed to her ninety-nine freaking times, she swore she'd finally show up for the hundredth. Spoiler: she didn't. She was out there at some concert with her boy toy. And, of course, someone caught them on livestream. Big kiss. Big viral moment. Meanwhile, my face was plastered all over the internet too—lonely guy number one, waiting for a bride who never existed. Everyone online started making bets. Who was the mystery woman? How long until I came crawling back for the hundred-and-first proposal? Sonia, apparently struck by some last-minute guilt, promised she'd make it right next time. Said she'd actually show up. And she did. Wedding dress. Perfect makeup. Cameras ready. She got a text from me: [Sonia, there won't be a hundred-and-first proposal. We're done.]

At Evermont High, Aria Valdez is the girl no one notices—the quiet shadow in crowded hallways, the name no one bothers to remember. But everyone knows Zachary Knight. Feared, admired, and impossible to ignore, Zachary rules the school with reckless charm and a cruel reputation. A notorious heartbreaker and relentless bully, he thrives on power and attention. So when he sets his eyes on Aria, it starts as nothing more than a game. A cruel bet. A harmless target. A girl too invisible to fight back. But fate has a twisted sense of humor. The more Zachary tries to break her, the more he finds himself drawn to her quiet strength. The girl he planned to humiliate becomes the one person who sees through his arrogance… and reaches the fragile heart he never lets anyone touch. What begins as a joke slowly turns into something dangerously real. Love. But just when Aria finally lets herself believe in their impossible story, the truth shatters everything. Zachary's time is running out. And the boy she fell in love with only has 100 days left to live. One hundred days to laugh. One hundred days to love. One hundred days before goodbye. In a race against time and fate, they must face the most heartbreaking question of all— Can a love that started as a lie survive when time itself is the enemy?

I had been dating Andy Lawson for five years. He had gone bankrupt, and during the worst of it, we had to sleep in parks and scavenge leftovers for food. After a hundred days of that life, I was just going to the blackmarket to sell some blood for money when someone sent me a video. [Surprise.] It was a livestream site, set up for rich kids to prank the common folk—and a video of me was pinned to the top. My finger trembling, I tapped on it and saw myself hidden in a corner of a park, munching on leftovers to nourish my frail body. On the split video, Andy was reclining against the armchair of a five-star hotel and savoring his gourmet menu. "Oh, this is amazing! All Andy has to do is say that he's sick, and she's selling her blood for him!" "On the sixteenth prank, she fell into the ocean… And on the fifteenth, she was sent flying in a car crash! Why is she so hard to kill?" "Well, Andy already made it clear that if she survives until the end, he will marry her and swear off women!" "One month to go! Will she die from the pranks, or marry into the Lawson family with pomp and circumstance?" "I'm betting fifty mil that she dies tragically! Hahaha!"

I, Isabella Norton, once made a promise with Julian Lawson, the billionaire CEO. After 98 proposals, he vows to appear at the doors of the city hall on my 99th attempt. But when the day comes, he doesn't show up. Instead, he brings his mistress, Natalie Mayer, to a concert. The sweet kiss they share under the camera's spotlight quickly turns into a trending sensation. At the same time, I also make headlines for turning up at the city hall for the 99th time. Speculations about the mysterious groom who never makes an appearance run wild. Everyone wonders when I will make my 100th attempt to propose. Out of guilt, Julian promises to show up next time when he realizes that I have carried out my promise. But when he finally arrives there clad in an impeccable suit, all he receives is a text message from me. "There won't be a hundredth proposal. It's over between us."