Celine sat in contemplation on her bed. It was unusual for Zack not to send messages like he did that morning. Only a casual "good morning" was received from him. After that, he didn't send any more messages."Good morning, Dear," Celine greeted Zack through a message.No response. Celine continued to wait, engaging in her usual activities. Occasionally, she glanced at her phone screen, but there was still no reply. Throughout the months of dating Zack, he never let her be alone. If it weren't a morning shift, Zack would usually come to pick her up for a morning stroll or to buy chicken porridge.That morning was different. Celine started to feel uneasy because, by 8:00 AM, she hadn't received any replies from Zack. Celine called Zack several times but got no answer. Zack's behavior made Celine agitated all day. Her heart was restless. Once again, she began to think of unfounded thoughts.Celine smiled happily when the metallic blue car arrived at her house around lunchtime. She knew
Since Leo's arrival at Celine's house, everything changed. Celine and Zack still maintained contact, but they never met again. Zack went back to his home in Manhattan.He decided to calm himself while continually convincing himself that Celine was the right choice for a future wife.Celine's chest occasionally tightened, restraining the overwhelming longing for her boyfriend. Zack was not much different. He was tortured because he didn't get to see Celine's face even a bit.Celine picked up her phone. She wanted to send a message to Zack. However, pride overcame everything. Since they stopped meeting, Celine was the one who initiated messages more often. Sometimes, she had to wait a little longer for Zack's reply.Now, Celine wanted to wait. She just wanted to know how far Zack would go for her. What she had been waiting for finally came, even though it was only through a video call. Celine was so emotional that she cried uncontrollably. Oh, how she missed Zack, who constantly stroked
43 – Lily, The ExZack stood up. He and the woman who had greeted him earlier now faced each other. Zack was impressed by the beauty of the woman who had once touched his heart. He was very nervous. However, he managed to compose himself, remembering Celine."Uh, hi, Lily.""Hi, Zack. I thought you were out of the town.""No. I rarely go there.""They say you have a girlfriend there?""Yeah. Uh, please, have a seat.""Uh, okay."Shortly after, they engaged in conversation. Lily and Zack reminisced, recalling when they were still in school, remembering their friends, and even reminiscing about their past relationship.They laughed together and regretted their naivety at that time."By the way, are you alone? Where's your husband?" Zack asked.Lily sipped a glass of orange juice and told him about her fate and her husband, "We've separated.""Meaning... divorced?""Yes.""And your kids? How are they?""I entrusted them to my mom.""How long have you been separated?""Quite a while. Abou
Celine had arrived. She quickly stepped aside and took out her phone to summon an online taxi. That afternoon was different from usual. The weather was quite dark, and the air was cool, bordering on cold. Rain started to fall, dampening the earth.After waiting for a while, the taxi arrived. Celine immediately got in and chatted with the driver. Celine's face was radiant. Her heart was happy, imagining her reunion with her lover after weeks of not seeing each other.Celine stared at her phone. She then opened W******p, replied to messages from her friends, and opened Zack's name. She couldn't resist contacting Zack, but Celine tried to restrain herself.From the beginning, Celine had planned to go to Meatball Hits. Afterward, she would call Zack and tell him she was already there. The girl couldn't wait to imagine Zack's surprised face and their date for the umpteenth time.That day, Celine also planned to belong entirely to Zack. Regardless of whether they would go home at night, Celi
Celine reluctantly followed Zack's mother's request to stay overnight. Coincidentally, she was very tired. Celine even planned to take a day off from work the next day. However, she didn't want to talk to Zack. She had been upset about his behavior since Lily's arrival. The anger intensified when she saw Zack sitting face-to-face with Lily.That night, Celine sat with Zack on the house terrace. For a while, they remained silent, busy with their thoughts."Celine," Zack called. "Can I explain something?"Celine didn't answer. She remained still and didn't look at Zack at all. Her heart was still furious, feeling betrayed by her lover."About the woman you met at the stall ... you misunderstood. I have no relationship with her."Celine stared into Zack's eyes with intensity, making the man uncomfortable."I don't care!"Zack sighed roughly."Celine, forgive me. I know I was wrong. I waited to inform you for several days because Leo came to your house. I know. I realize now that I was wr
It was 3:00 a.m. when Celine woke up from her sleep. She suddenly remembered her decision to break up with Zack. When she thought about it, Celine didn't know why her heart was pounding. She was torn.On the one hand, she still loved Zack deeply. On the other hand, she couldn't forgive Zack's actions that had caused her so much pain. Celine was filled with hesitation. Should they break up, or should she stick with a heart that is not in a good state?Celine took the prayer. She decided to pray to the Holy God to seek guidance. She couldn't speak, but she was sure Allah heard her prayers.Only after sunrise did the answer come. Celine remained troubled by her decision. She wasn't entirely convinced that breaking up with Zack was the right decision. However, again, she remembered the painful incidents involving Leo's visit to her house and Zack meeting Lily.In the morning, after getting ready, Celine sat on the bed for a moment. She reconsidered her decision, trying to strengthen her h
The breakup words finally came out. For Celine and Zack, the burden they felt was indeed heavy. Yet, at least, it gave them little time to rearrange their hearts and prejudices. The phrase is that a relationship without trust is like planting a tree in barren soil without water to nourish it. Every relationship will face phases where loyalty and trust are tested. The results will be beautiful in due time for those who successfully navigate through these trials. And for those who stumble and fall due to a lack of trust, they should use it as an opportunity for self-reflection. The absence of trust may be caused by their ambiguous and unclear attitudes in expressing feelings. The temptations from third parties, which cannot be denied, are obstacles that need to be wary of. When Celine arrived at her home, her silent demeanor and gloomy face made Gina curious. "What's wrong, sis?" she asked concerned. "Nothing. Why?" Celine felt that keeping it to herself was the best for now. "Rea
A message appeared on Celine's phone. She opened it reluctantly, knowing the sender was her ex-boyfriend, whom she despised. Leo had never changed since the beginning; he was always immature and willing to do anything to achieve his desires, even if it hurt others."Sorry, I'm busy," Celine replied."I know. Can I come to your house?""Can't you read? I'M BUSY!"Celine's chest thundered. Dealing with a guy like Leo was incredibly irritating. Without much thought, Celine blocked Leo's contact on her messaging app. She was truly fed up with the guy who had once caused her so much pain!"Damn it, this guy! Does he think I don't know he's the reason I broke up with Zack?" Celine exclaimed angrily, glaring at her phone.Her anger spilled into a WhatsApp status. She expressed her frustration about her ex's actions. However, deep in Celine's heart, another reason for her rage was the profound loss of Zack.She wasn't fully ready to part ways with Zack. The reality was that everything had hap
About 5 years later ...."Don't run around, Dear. You might fall."Celine tried to catch Eve, who was happily running around in the yard, though she struggled a bit due to her bulging belly. Despite the difficulty, Celine continued to chase after her princess. Witnessing this from inside the house, Zack quickly walked over to them."Sweetheart, don't make Mama worried," Zack said, catching and holding Eve in his arms."Papa, why haven't the others come yet? It's taking so long," Eve said amusingly.At the age of five, Eve was already very smart. Celine and Zack never expected their firstborn to be chatty like her mother but wise like her father."They'll be here soon, don't worry. That's why Eve has to be a good girl. No mischief, no running around, be kind to Mama," Zack continued, pointing towards Celine.Celine smiled while gently rubbing her growing belly. She was truly grateful that, in this second pregnancy, she didn't experience the same difficulties as her first. Even the docto
Not hearing Joe's response to her question convinced Kylie that it was true. That the real reason was Joe being tempted by the charm of the karaoke hostess. "Oh God...," Kylie moaned. She was still accompanied by sobs that seemed endless from her red lips. "You're so heartless!" she protested angrily. Honestly, Kylie never expected that her husband, who in her mind was always gentle and deeply in love with her, would have intentions to betray their sacred love! Her mind refused to accept it. "I can't believe that you have such rotten behaviour. At home, I pretend to be gentle and full of love for myself, but outside, I shower the same love to another woman. Even a karaoke hostess gets a share of your affection!" Kylie continued to curse while seeking forgiveness repeatedly. Her heart was in pain. Very painful, indeed; she couldn't describe how hurtful it was when the fleeting temptation of a karaoke hostess overshadowed her pure love and dedication! For a wife, there is no more s
After fully understanding her husband's intentions, Kylie's body automatically rose. Even the table in front of her shifted due to her movements. With an unconsciously gasping breath, Kylie looked towards Joe with a poignant and sharp gaze."You want to get married again? Hahaha! Don't joke!"Kylie tried to laugh, although it felt like the laughter coming from her mouth was very bitter. She tried to think positively, assuming that Joe was joking or trying to surprise her with some emotional twist. Unfortunately, Joe still looked very serious.The man stood up. His eyes glanced anxiously at Kylie as if afraid that the woman before him would explode."Kylie, please listen to me first. I am not joking at all. There is a woman who needs my guidance, so I want to marry her to ensure that our closeness doesn't turn into a sin."Kylie blinked her eyes several times; a thousand pains seemed to pierce her heart. Yet, what Joe revealed might not even be true. She gazed at the face of the man wh
Spontaneously, Monica covered her mouth, unintentionally shocked by what had just been said by the man who had been filling her days recently—the man whom she had targeted to be her life support."Did I hear it correctly? Do you want to marry me?" That was the only question her tongue could muster, suddenly feeling stiff.Joe stared into Monica's eyes intensely,"Listen first. I mean, I want to ask permission from Kylie first, whether she allows me to marry you—""But of course, she has to agree. You have the right to make choices. Besides, religion doesn't prohibit it, right?" Monica interrupted with great joy.She almost couldn't contain herself from jumping with happiness.However, in front of her, Joe shook his head, making Monica pout because she didn't understand what the man meant by being so elaborate. Wasn't it the man's right as the husband to make decisions in his household?"That's not the correct concept, Monica. I am indeed the husband and have the right to decide the di
"Darling, where were you? I've been looking for you!"Kylie asked as she met her husband in front of the office building. Surprisingly, this made Joe, who had just returned from Monica's place, panic.With a tense expression, Joe immediately embraced Kylie's shoulders and said, "Darling, I had lunch outside. Lately, you've been so busy and always eating in your room. So, I thought you didn't want to eat with me!"It was okay if they didn't eat together because of Kylie's recent busyness. However, knowing that her husband had eaten elsewhere, Kylie felt confused.The woman, who always appeared in public wearing a hijab, asked, "Where did you eat? I had prepared your lunch as usual. Why didn't you eat that?"Joe grimaced, just remembering the packed lunch. When he went for lunch at Monica's place, Joe would usually ask his colleague to eat the packed lunch prepared by Kylie. But yesterday, Joe forgot to do so, and Kylie must have noticed the untouched lunchbox.Guiding his wife back int
On that afternoon during lunchtime, Joe was startled by the noticeable transformation in Monica's appearance. He spontaneously stared at the beauty of God's creation embodied in Monica's figure, now adorned in a soft salmon-coloured modern gown with a simple design that perfectly complemented her body.Her beautiful face was covered with a matching ssawl, styled how Kylie usually wore her pashmina. Instantly, Joe felt as if he were seeing Kylie's twin but in a more attractive package, as Monica's curves were still entirely exposed.For a moment, the time he seemed to stand still. Joe's desires, which he had been trying to suppress, ignited passionately. The sight presented by Vioan tempted his faith to its core. It seemed as though he was genuinely captivated by Monica's undeniable charm."Joe? Do you think I look good in this outfit?" Monica asked with an uncertain gaze. She intentionally displayed a shy smile to appear like a maiden seeking approval from her beloved. My goodness! Mo
"Hello, Honey. Have you finished your overtime?" Joe spoke into the phone as Kylie called him. Remembering, he told Monica to be silent. He couldn't let Monica make any noise that Kylie might hear.On the other end, Kylie replied, "Darling, it seems like I'm going to work overtime until 09:00. Is it okay if I add an hour? Because my work is not finished yet, and if I pile it up for tomorrow, I'll be overwhelmed."Joe took a long breath, but he felt a bit happy. If Kylie extended her overtime, Joe could spend more time with Monica. Finally, he replied, "Yes, that's okay. When you're done, call me, Honey!"After that, their phone conversation ended. Joe put his phone back in his pocket. Kylie was busy; even coming home had to be postponed. But it didn't matter for now because Joe was at Monica's inn."What's your wife's position in the company, Mas? Why does it seem like she's so busy, working overtime almost daily like this?"That was a question posed by Monica as she took her seat nex
Joe firmly emphasized to Monica that he did not want to betray Kylie. A sense of guilt immediately overwhelmed him. After returning from the mall, Joe promptly dropped Monica off at her accommodation. For now, that place was the safest for Monica.Joe then prohibited Monica from going back to the karaoke place. Instead, he always gave her money and had already bought her a phone for everyday use. Joe didn't want to label what he and Monica were doing as an affair, but he realized that what he had done couldn't be justified.A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about the possibility of Kylie finding out about his actions. Indeed, she would be deeply disappointed."Aren't you coming in? Although it's an inn, I'm free to bring guests inside! Because people staying here often bring their friends in freely, the owner never minds!" Monica offered before getting out of Joe's car.The invitation Monica gave sounded very tempting, and there was a strong desire in Joe's heart to nod his he
"Oh my God! You're so absurd!" Joe retorted, refocusing on driving. They were on a quiet road, so he had pulled over easily to recover from the shock of Monica's statement."How am I absurd? I do want to be your wife. I believe I can live a better life under your guidance. I'm sure because I see, Joe, you're so good as a husband," Monica elaborated, emphasizing her words. Joe, in turn, shook his head in disbelief, wondering about the basis of her thoughts."But there are still many single men out there who would want you, Monica!" Joe, once again, expressed his disapproval. He believed Monica should not dare to speak like that to a married man. Yet... why did he feel a sense of pride and joy when he first heard it? Oh God! Something was wrong with his heart, Joe pondered."I've met many men. Most of them only wanted my body," Monica lamented with a bitter tone. "They didn't care about my job. I want a life like other women, sheltered by their husbands, feeling safe and guided to becom