I Care A Lot Common Sense Media

Rags to Billions. Bullied to Domination. Ugly to Handsome. Jason Reed was bullied and discriminated all his life. His life was filled with uncertainty and hate, especially from the people who were disgusted by his hideous looks. As a baby, his parents abandoned him. As a teenager, people hated him. Accused and jailed for a crime he didn't commit, Jason thought that it's hope for a good life will forever be a dream. But fate us twisted. Fate has other plans for him. He went back to school as a billionaire heir and he will make everyone pay for making his life a living hell, that includes his traitor ex-girlfriend. "What? He's rich?" "Yeah, but he's still ugly. He's so disgusting.'' He didn't care about what they say now. He will prove to them they picked on the wrong guy.

Lucas, a hardworking young man in a difficult financial situation, arrives at his girlfriend Maya's apartment only to discover she's celebrating her birthday—a surprise to him since she claimed she wouldn't be celebrating. They’ve been dating for six months, and Lucas, who has been saving to buy her a gift, feels betrayed by her lie. Maya's friends and guests openly mock Lucas, belittling him as a mere delivery man and questioning why someone like Maya, a Harvard student, would date him. The apartment, which Lucas had rented for her using his hard-earned money, now looks unrecognizable, remodeled with new furniture and decorations, which adds to his confusion and sense of betrayal. During the party, Maya shows a clear preference for Adrian, her wealthy and arrogant boss, who arrives and casually holds her hand. Adrian and Maya’s friends humiliate Lucas further, suggesting he isn’t “good enough” for her. Adrian openly challenges Lucas, offering him a degrading job as a security guard if he licks his shoe, reinforcing the insult to Lucas’s dignity. Despite his heartbreak, Lucas remains silent, painfully realizing that Maya only stayed with him out of pity. Faced with the cruel reality of his girlfriend’s disregard, Lucas’s inner resilience is tested, leaving him humiliated but determined to face the hardships life continues to throw at him.

They call me Julian Mercer and I keep my head down because I learned the hard way that a name can be a target. I answered an ad for a rental and signed a paper I promised myself I’d never sign: a marriage contract. The job was simple — be the son-in-law for thirty days, take the money, be gone. The family needs a “son” to secure a heritage grant and I need the cash to buy a clean slate. What I didn’t plan for was the way Lila Ardmore looked at me like she already knew what I was hiding. Another thing I didn’t plan for was the ledger in an old piano and the way a neighbor called my mother’s name, and the knot in my gut that felt like an alarm the night someone tried to burn the past into ash. I came to act. I stayed to fix what I broke, and the longer I stayed the more I realized the man I was taught to be will not survive who I have to become. If you want my story, read it from where the dark starts.

I never thought betrayal would hit me this hard. I caught my girlfriend cheating on me with the most popular guy on campus. I stood there, frozen, watching as she laughed in his arms—like I never even existed. And when I confronted them, I was the one who got blamed. Me. Because I was poor. Because I had no influence. She didn’t even try to defend me. And when I was at my lowest, when I thought I was about to die, something impossible happened. A screen appeared in front of me, glowing with strange letters. [Spend one million dollars within three days to unlock a greater prize.] It was a system—one that could give me unlimited wealth, but only if I played by its rules. With this, I could have anything. I could crush the ones who humiliated me. I could make them pay. But I quickly realized that money alone wouldn’t be enough. The man I was up against wasn’t just some rich playboy—he was dangerous, and he wasn’t going down easily. If I wanted to win, I had to be smarter. I had to use every trick, every advantage, and push the system to its limits. The question is—do I have what it takes?

My name is Joe Mzalendo. Mine country is Credonia, a third-world country. Born and raised here, I loved my country just like every other patriotic citizen. As I grew up, all I ever wanted was a good degree and a good job with the government. All that I looked forward to so that I could help others and see to it that things went the right way. I had a dream of transforming my country through fighting and nipping Corruption by the roots. I thought getting in was the right move and the only way to make a change. In the end, I was all wrong. I found myself imprisoned by powers I couldn't control and forces I could not break. Without options, I watched people suffer as I did nothing. It was a stab through my heart. I had to live with the knife through my heart and in pain. It was either that and try to help those I could or die. I not only walked with death but saw it most of the time. It was then that I learned; some things are better done from a distance. I learnt never to put out a conflagration from inside a blazing house.

I was the last one left, I watched as humanity's greed took over, as brothers killed brothers and fathers turned on sons. I watched humanity end and with nothing left to live for, I ended my life. Now I'm back to a month before the apocalypse, I've been given a second chance and I will not waste it. I'll prevent the death of those I love and make sure humanity survives. If the world can't control itself, then I'll conquer it and lead us to survival.

I thought Sofia was a faithful wife. She was always gentle and acted as if I was the only one. But when I went to surprise her on our anniversary, I was more surprised. I saw her making love to another man in our room. They even continued making love after they saw me. I was heartbroken and completely humiliated as a man. And what broke my heart even more was the reason she gave for cheating on me. She said I was just a poor man who couldn't make her happy. We divorced on the spot and I left angry and disappointed. On the way I passed through a very thick white fog and was instantly transported. I was in Smoky Hollow, a place in another dimension. I was given a system that changed my life. I had to hunt around Smoky Hollow to get coins that could be exchanged for money. I was suddenly a billionaire and I was going to make everyone who insulted me regret it.

Seventeen-year-old Rune Weaver thought his biggest problem was surviving senior year at New Haven High. Then a shadow creature attacked him in the school parking lot, and a mysterious man saved his life by throwing fire from his bare hands. Now Rune knows the truth: he is descended from an ancient line of sorcerers called Etherwind, and the darkness that destroyed his ancestors five hundred years ago has returned. He is not alone. Four other teenagers across the city have just discovered their own magical heritage, each from a different Etherwind bloodline. Together they are the last hope against Grimfall, an ancient force of living darkness that feeds on fear and despair. But learning magic is not like the movies. Their powers are wild and dangerous, and every spell they cast brings them closer to the madness that consumed their ancestors. As the shadows spread across New Haven, turning ordinary people into mindless thralls, Rune and his unlikely allies must master their abilities before Grimfall completes its return. They have six weeks until the convergence, when the barrier between worlds falls completely. Six weeks to become the sorcerers their bloodlines demand. Six weeks to save everyone they love from being swallowed by eternal night.

I hated being locked up like a damsel in distress. Like I was some princess that needed constant protection, but deep down I was grateful. I was still struggling to summon my powers, so if I was attacked alone I would be defenseless. I understood why Valerian wanted me to stay confined within the walls of our home since there was a protection spell suffocating the entire atmosphere that surrounded it. But I was so bored. Valerian was not there to take me out and keep me occupied with his cocky smiles and quirky comments. The only thing I could think to do to pass the time was to take a stroll around the castle grounds. I exited out into the courtyard and walked past the beautiful wooden benches and vibrant trees. Roses of every colour confiscated the grounds and it was like I was walking through a rainbow. My fingertips caressed the petals and I inhaled the sweet scent of their exquisiteness as I walked through the trails. I was so mesmerized by the area that I didn’t realize where I was going. I gasped as I reached for the next rose in my path, and it crumbled from my touch. The rest of the walkway was filled with black and decayed roses that tumbled to the ground like ash from a horrible wildfire. My frightened eyes glared out into the distance as I realized the dead flowers led to a shadowy tunnel made from black brick. A sign barely dangling from a broken chain at the top of the entrance read ‘dungeon.’ My body cringed at the sight. This was the dark side of Valerian that I knew and wanted to avoid as much as possible.

I've never wanted this life for myself—this life filled with perils and evil. It's like a dream I can never escape from—a dream which I'm forever stuck in. Heh, no one ever wanted this life or ever wished for it. You'd be either insane or extremely evil to wish for this kind of life—the life where you don't have a choice over anything—the life where you're bound by your deepest desires. I never wanted to enter into the supernatural world. I never wanted to come across the Crimsones[1], Lycanthropes[2], demons and the rest. I never wanted to be involved in anything pertaining to the dark and supernatural world. I had always yearned for freedom and not servitude. But of course I was wrong all along. I had been delusional, thinking I'd be able to escape it all—to escape from fate. I never knew I would be pulled into this mess, becoming one of those dark creatures which roam about in the ungodly night. I never wanted to be a merciless predator who was also a prey to another predator (what a food chain!). But all is good. No matter what I shall not alli myself to degenerate into a heartless monster who only knew how to tear flesh, spill blood and break bones. I cannot allow my desires to pull me down. I cannot be corrupted by the abyss! My name is Daniel Stark and what I'm about to tell you is a real life horror. I don't know what you call horror or romance or fa Intasy but this story I'm about to tell you, you need to listen attentively and not miss a bit of information. This is my story—one beginning with pain.