Crying Behind Smile Novels & Stories

He married her to save his empire. He divorced her the moment he no longer needed her. But what if the woman he tossed aside... was the only one who ever truly loved him? Rebecca Henshaw was once Davis Gates’ devoted wife — graceful, loyal, and deeply in love. Their marriage, born from family alliance, blossomed into something real... until one tragic night, a deadly fire, and a web of lies tore them apart. Branded a murderer in her husband’s eyes, Rebecca endured years of cold silence and rejection. Now, just as she discovers she’s pregnant with his child, Davis returns home — not with love, but with divorce papers. Heartbroken and humiliated, Rebecca walks away, determined to rebuild her life far from the man who shattered it. But Davis never expected her to rise like a phoenix. Behind her soft smile lies a thriving empire, a powerful identity, and a secret that changes everything. When danger begins to stalk her, Davis steps in — not out of guilt, but something far more dangerous: love. Now he wants her back. But Rebecca is no longer the woman who once begged for his affection. She’s stronger. Smarter. And she’s not alone. Can Davis break through the walls he built — before another man takes her for good? Or is his greatest regret losing the one woman he was too blind to treasure?

Before the pack's Winter Solstice festival, I was given a Moonwater Mirror, forged from the waters of the Moon Goddess Spring. But the face staring back at me wasn't my own. It was my face, but younger. The girl I was eight years ago. Her eyes were bright with a joy I hadn't felt in years. When she realized I was from her future, she practically vibrated with excitement. "Our fated mate, Alpha Owen, he confessed today! He's going to plant moonflowers around the lake cabin. He'll stay with me for every full moon. He promised to make me his one and only Luna forever!" Her voice was full of hope for the future. Her joy was a bitter reminder of what I'd lost. I listened quietly, only managing a faint smile. My reaction must have given me away. Her excited chatter died. Her gaze drifted over my shoulder, taking in the cold, empty penthouse behind me. "Wait... where's Owen?" Her smile faltered. "We're happy, right? After eight years?" I didn't say a word. I just slowly, deliberately, turned the Moonwater Mirror toward the terrace. There, my Alpha mate, Owen, had another she-wolf pinned to the railing. Their mouths were fused, their breaths mingling in the cold night air.

"After getting dumped, Zoe finds herself lost, without a date to take to the wedding of her wealthy and successful cousin. Anelise and Zoe do not have a friendly relationship, and going to the occasion without a boyfriend - on Valentine’s Day -, will only increase the rumors that she has failed in life. Unemployed and living on unemployment insurance, she and her best friend, Clara, decide to order a pizza. That’s where she meets (or for a moment to watch) Alex, her motoboy. After practically crying in their arms, the two become great friends. Things fall apart when Clara proposes that Zoe approach Alex to go to the wedding with him. And that’s okay, since Alex confesses to being in love with someone else. But how long will she sustain this farce? And, God, who’s the girl Alex secretly loves? One thing we know, when it involves the heart, the chances of everything going wrong are very high."

“Run if you want, Lia. I’ll only chase you. And you know exactly how that ends…” … Natalia Monroe had the world at her feet—Hollywood’s golden girl, four Oscars, two Emmys, and a fanbase that worshipped her. Until one scandalous video destroyed everything. Overnight, she goes from America’s sweetheart to the internet’s favorite villain. Betrayed, mocked, canceled, and hunted by paparazzi—her glittering life collapses in a single breath. And when the harassment turns violent, her father drags her back to the tiny hometown she swore she’d never return to. She expects the usual boredom, silence and insignificance. What she doesn’t expect is him. Roman Volkov—her small town’s new mayor, its “miracle man,” loved by everyone, trusted by all. He’s charming, untouchable and practically perfect. Except Natalia doesn’t buy it. Behind his polite smile and mismatched eyes, she sees the truth—danger, darkness, and secrets that could ruin them both. He’s clearly hiding something. Something big…something…deadly. But when her father forces her to work as Roman’s secretary and a PR disaster traps them in a fake relationship—she realizes one terrifying thing: The town may see an angel. But the man watching her like a hawk is the devil she should’ve run from. Except he has no intention of letting her go.

​“This is Ava, my mate. Your new Luna.” ​The Alpha’s voice boomed across the clearing, and in that instant, my world came crashing down. ​I stood frozen, the heavy silence of the pack pressing in on me. I didn't know whether to move, to scream, or to simply collapse. My legs felt like heavy, even as my wolf thrashed inside me, recognizing the soul crushing scent of the man standing on the podium. ​Four years ago, he humiliated me in front of the entire school. He made me believe my feelings were something to be ashamed of; a joke to be laughed at. That night, I left everything behind: my home, my pack, and the boy who broke me. ​I never planned to return. ​But standing at the coronation of the new Alpha, fate betrayed me in the cruelest way possible. The mate bond snapped into place with a terrifying force, tying me to the very man I swore to hate forever. ​I try to run. He doesn’t let me. ​Now, I’m expected to stand by his side as Luna, to smile for a pack that once laughed at my tears, and to trust an Alpha who shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. He thinks he can own me. He thinks a bond makes up for the scars he left behind. But he’s about to find out, I’m not the girl he broke. I’m the woman who’s going to bring him to his knees.

“Do you know why he married you?” Her smile was cruel, her blind eyes staring straight through me. “Because you’re wearing my eyes and he promised to protect them.” My breath caught, but she wasn’t done. She leaned closer, as she whispered in my ears “Face it, Olivia. You’re nothing but my replacement.” Leonard always seemed like the perfect husband, until she woke from her five-year coma and shattered my world with the truth. He married me for my eyes. Eyes that once belonged to her. I should have known his overprotectiveness wasn’t love, it was guilt. And now, with a life growing inside me, I realized I wasn’t just a substitute wife. I was a placeholder in a story that was never mine to begin with. Shattered and pregnant, I disappeared, leaving behind the man who never truly saw me and a secret he never knew existed. Years later, I return. No longer his fragile, obedient wife, but a woman with a new name, a hidden son, and a plan to ruin the billionaire who broke me. But in a game where love and vengeance collide, the most dangerous twist isn’t my fury it’s the fire that never died between us. He made me a substitute. Now, I’ll make him suffer.

My roommate, Sylvia Colman, is the ultimate overachiever at Southend High School. She sleeps only three hours a day and takes first place in every exam throughout all three years of high school. As for me, I'm known as the "sleepy slacker" in our school. I sleep in class, constantly fail exams, and can even fall asleep while walking. My parents are completely disappointed in me. They say I'm a hopeless mess. My childhood friend, Jeffrey Rivers, also turns his back on me. He claims I've fallen too far and becomes Sylvia's die-hard fan instead. But when the dean of studies summons me for a talk to tell me that I face the possibility of being expelled, I accidentally discover the secret behind Sylvia's inexhaustible energy. It turns out she has been transferring all of her exhaustion and drowsiness onto me. She's the one stealing my energy, my grades, and my life! On the night before the SAT, Sylvia confidently stays up all night doing practice papers for one final push before the real deal. I smile slightly as a plan forms in my mind. Inwardly, I sneer, "You despicable thief who stole my life… I have a wonderful surprise in store for you. Stay tuned and accept my gift to you!"

Falling for her stepbrother was pure madness, and Simone knew it... Having him reciprocate is dream material though. A tender look here, a smile there, and she could delude herself into thinking he cared as well. But what if she's not so delusional after all? What next?

I was a wedding planner, and I personally designed my husband's wedding to his mistress. I had been with Victor for five years. Three of those years were swallowed by the pandemic. The remaining two were spent married, pregnant, and raising a child. The wedding I had always dreamed of existed only as "next time" whenever it came out of his mouth, until the day I received a new wedding planning request. The client was a young woman, her eyes curved with laughter, her smile bright and full of hope. "This is the venue my boyfriend chose himself," she said softly. "He insisted the wedding had to be held here." I took the file from her, and my gaze stopped on the venue name. The church in Clairmont. The very church I had mentioned to my husband countless times, the place I had dreamed of more than anything else. I was just about to smile and marvel at how someone in this world shared my taste so perfectly when the groom's name leapt into view. Victor Langford. My fingers froze on the page. Across from me, the girl was still wrapped in her happiness. She added gently, "We've only been together for two months, but he said he wants to give me the best wedding possible." I curved my lips into a smile and fixed my eyes on that familiar face—the man I had lived with for five years. After all this time, the day I planned Victor's wedding had finally arrived. Too bad the bride wasn't me.

Everyone knew Elio Carbone, Don of the Carbone family, was a cold-hearted womanizer. He had one rule: never sleep with the same woman twice. But for me, he broke it. The first day after our breakup, he stood outside the old Bianchi estate for a day and a night, his entire security detail in tow, just to win me back. The second day, he flew to Sicily and bought the deed to my family's ancestral estate at auction for triple its value, and had it delivered to me. The third day, he tattooed my favorite flower, the lily, over his heart. The tattoo artist said he refused any anesthetic and didn't make a sound. Later, at a banquet for the Five Families, in front of all the other Dons, he sliced his palm and made a blood oath. He swore loyalty only to Eleonora Bianchi for the rest of his life; if he broke his vow, he would pay with his life. After a year of his relentless pursuit, his devotion finally wore me down, and I agreed to take him back. I truly believed him then. That Elio truly loved me. Until one night. He took me to an underground racetrack to broker a deal with an ally. But in the roaring crowd, I saw a girl, trembling and crying, her clothes in tatters. Ava was shoved to the starting line. She was the wager for the death race. One look was all it took for Elio's face to darken. The next second, he dropped his hand from my waist and, without a word, walked toward the track entrance. I stood frozen, watching his back as he disappeared into the driver's seat of a modified sports car. I used to wake up crying, terrified he would lose his life in one of these reckless races. He had smashed his trophies, burned his marker for the illegal track, and sworn to God he would never again enter such a life-or-death gamble. My hand drifted to my stomach, covering the secret I hadn't yet had the chance to share. His blood oath was broken. And so was I.