Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition - Chapter 8: Story : The Haunting Portrait

What would happen, if one day fantasy collides with reality?

- Description from Novelupdates

Experiencing a suffocating marriage with the man whom she was arranged to marry made Joanna want to leave him. But it was a failure as she died as the wife of the man who abandoned her and her son before they divorced.On the verge of her death, she made a wish to not encounter him again if there was a next life. She wished for the end of their fate only in this lifetime. She wanted to forget everything about him.However, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the room of the mansion of the man she just married. She was awakened by a dream that seemed to be a nightmare of her past life.She didn’t remember completely everything that had occurred in her past life and the dream was fragmented. But deep inside her heart, she only felt one thing. She was adamant about leaving him, to be far away from him.Therefore, she left his mansion just before she met him in person in the present lifetime.However, what she didn’t expect was that the so-called husband pursued her, not allowing her to leave him.Would Joanna be successful in leaving the man in this lifetime? Would fate play the same tragedy as her past life?---As he pulled his finger away from her soft, warm lips, he said, “It is good you stopped winding up, Joanna. Otherwise, I would have used the other method to make you stop blabbering over the same, boring topic endlessly.”When he noticed the stubborn woman was about to prove herself to be stubborn, the man leaned forward in a swift movement, facing the woman’s stupefied face which was an inch away from his.“Continue to blabbering, don’t blame me if I apply my other method right now,” the man murmured above her breath, trailing his gaze from her quivering eyes to her lips before moving it back to her now widened eyes.

There exists eight hardships of human life- living, aging, being sick, dying, resenting, parting with loved ones, being unable to let go, and being unable obtain something.

In each life, each person will experience their own hardship. Once they obtain happiness, they are furthermore unable to let go. Whether it would be heartfelt love or resenting someone down to the bone, would it matter? As long as that person’s bone has my name, it would be good.

- Description from Novelupdates

“Football isn't just a game”—it's life.For 16-year-old David Jones, football is more than a sport; it's an escape, a calling, and the only thing that makes sense in a world full of challenges. The electric thrill of scoring a last-minute winner, the roar of the crowd—it’s the closest thing to freedom he knows.But David's journey is far from simple. Blessed with extraordinary talent yet burdened by fiery anger, he’s fighting battles on and off the pitch. Growing up as the son of a Nigerian immigrant and a British mother, David navigates the pressures of cultural expectations, the weight of his own ambitions, and the scrutiny of a sport that demands perfection.Passion drives him forward, but his temper holds him back. Can he channel his emotions and prove himself worthy of being football's next big star?David Jones: The Next big thing is a gripping coming-of-age story about resilience, identity, and the unrelenting pursuit of dreams.Disclaimer:This work is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All trademarks, brand names, and other proprietary rights mentioned or depicted are the property of their respective owners and are used for illustrative purposes only. This work is not affiliated with or endorsed by any brand, company, or individual mentioned. All rights reserved to their respective owners.