WHAT THE HEART WANTS contains five psychologically twisted tales. When love crosses a thin line into obsession, relationships can take a paradoxically unsettling dark turn. In ALL THAT CREMAINS , we meet Peggy Sue Larson, who has always preferred to be in the company of the dead. As the owner of Dignity Funeral Home, she transforms the departed into their “Best last selves”—a niche talent that unexpectedly makes her an internet sensation. But viral fame is fickle, and when Peggy’s followers begin to disappear, her determination to stay relevant spirals into a grotesque obsession. In the story CAT-ASTROPHE , Margaret has her life arranged just the way she likes it: cozy, predictable, and delightfully her own. Then Tom walks in—tall, charming, cultured, and seemingly perfect. Before long he’s sharing her dinners, her weekends, and eventually… her apartment. At first, it feels like a rom-com in the making. But as Tom settles in, Margaret starts to remember why she prefers things just the way they were. In SARAH'S DILEMMA , We meet Sarah, who once believed she had the perfect life: a handsome husband, a beautiful home, and a love story everyone envied. But appearances are fragile things—and behind closed doors, perfection can rot. Sarah’s Dilemma follows a woman caught between memory and survival as she pieces together the moments that led her here—and the choice she must make before time runs out. Told through the voice of Fred, IN THE DOG'S HOUSE follows the narrative of a highly intuitive therapy dog, Fred has a growing certainty that his beloved owner, therapist Jennifer, is in mortal danger. When a new patient arrives carrying the unmistakable scent of violence and a past Fred recognizes too late, loyalty and instinct collide with the limits of obedience. In FIRST DO SOME HARM, Susan Marks is an ER nurse who devotes her life to saving others—until she becomes the only one who believes an unconscious patient truly belongs with her. This final story in the series explores how devotion can curdle into control—and how the instinct to save can turn ironic.