The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era - Chapter 39 - Disaster Strikes!

I closed my eyes and let out a long, shuddering breath. The needle slipped through my numb fingers and clattered onto the rough pavement. Nothingness swirled around me, bringing the first peace I'd felt in my short, miserable life. No one would miss me, and if any did...? Well, there was always someone else to beat or rape. They'd move on quickly.But then...gods? Since when did nothingness have so many gods?Chosen by the goddess of Fate, I'm thrust into a world of magic and wonder alongside nine other heroes. A world where the gods reign supreme, and evil is vanquished before it can spread its blight.Can such a place truly exist? Could life really be worth living?I've heard that the brightest lights cast the longest shadows, but my life has been nothing but darkness. Perhaps this new world will be the chance I need to find the light, to see the other side.

Ethan Carter was a failed fantasy author who died overworked and bitter. When he wakes up in the world of his own unfinished novel, he finds himself reborn as Darius Wycliffe, a weak and arrogant noble fated to be killed by the protagonist, Lucien Ashford, the Archmage’s Disciple.But Ethan refuses to die so easily. Armed with his knowledge of the world’s secrets and a unique ability to rewrite spells, he dives into the forbidden magic he once created but never fully explored. As he grows stronger, he uncovers terrifying truths about the world he thought he knew.To survive, Ethan must defy destiny, master the deadliest of magics, and challenge the very hero he once wrote to be unbeatable. But what happens when the lines between hero and villain start to blur?

How did he meet such a bandit-like man? He drags you away the second he sees you! And yet, the only thing he can do is try his best to set the boundaries between them.

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“Don’t you ever try to leave and reason things out. It’s futile. Yelling is also useless. This lao zi has already fallen for you and I shall make you mine.”

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“Be obedient and wait for me at home, so I can pamper you till the day I die.”

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“Running away? What about it?

You dare to run away again and this lao zi will spend his lifetime seeing you try.”

- Description from Novelupdates

“I’m no angel, baby girl. I’ll make you cry, curse, and scream every night once you’re mine. So think twice before you sign this goddamn contract.”+++Rivana Faye thought nothing could get worse than catching her husband and step-sister making out on their wedding anniversary, only to be shot dead the same day.Instead of the afterlife, Rivana woke up back in the past, on her wedding day, staring right into the eyes of the same bastard who had ruined her life. Fueled by vengeance, she planned to marry him and tear his world apart, just as he had done to her in her previous life.That is, until Azrael Dynar, her supposed husband’s older brother, stepped in with a shocking claim: that they were already married?!“Wifey, are you cheating on me with this tiny loser? Tch, you have poor taste,” Azrael drawled, flashing their marriage certificate to everyone's horror.Azrael was everything Rivana had heard in hushed whispers: cold, cunning, and irresistibly seductive. But to her, he was oddly caring and fiercely protective. He even vowed to destroy everyone who had hurt her as long as she continued to be his side, as his darling wife!And the deeper Rivana sank into Azrael’s world, the more her defenses crumbled, leaving her with nothing but growing desires for him. Little did she know, the man she was falling for was no guardian angel but a devil—one responsible for her death, and the very one who could destroy her all over again.---Excerpt:“You seem to have experience in seducing women, Mr. Dynar,” Rivana joked, licking her ice cream.Azrael smirked at her laugh, and the next moment, he pulled her chair closer, causing Rivana's heart to skip a beat. Before she could catch her breath, he suddenly captured her lips, tasting the sweet chocolate on her lips.Pulling back slightly, Azrael smiled, enjoying her reaction. Tracing her lower lip with his thumb, he declared, “You are the first woman I have ever tried to seduce, Rain. And you will also be the last.”