Celine lay on the slightly firm, white bed. In front of her was a monitor screen displaying a small white object the size of a pea. It looked like a tiny crescent moon with a slow heartbeat. On various parts of the monitor screen were numbers indicating the gestational age and the estimated due date of the baby.Zack's face lit up with joy upon learning that his wife was pregnant and the gestational age had reached six weeks. Celine shared the same happiness. There was an instant sense of joy when she saw the pea-sized figure in her womb.Since this was their first time, the couple consulted with an obstetrician. They had many questions, and the doctor answered them accurately, clearly, and in detail.At the end of the consultation, Zack wanted to inquire about the relationship between husband and wife during pregnancy. However, he hesitated, and so did Celine. Despite their shyness, Zack was curious. He feared making any wrong moves that might affect the unborn child.Zack took a deep
A rectangular object with a moving monitor screen brought smiles to the faces of a husband and wife, especially when the doctor in front of them informed them that everything was going well: normal heartbeat, good fetal development, and so on.However, the woman's face changed slightly disappointed when the doctor hadn't determined the baby's gender yet. Luckily, the handsome, white, and clean-faced male doctor remained patient and informed the couple that the gender could be determined when the pregnancy reached four months or more. In some cases, the gender might remain unknown even until birth.Zack nodded understandingly. However, it was different for Celine. Traces of disappointment were still visible on her sweet face. Little did anyone know that she was eager to know the gender of her future baby. It was that important to her, even if others might consider it less so."What's wrong? Why the pout?" Zack asked when they reached the car."It's nothing.""Don't lie!""People say it'
The two pairs of eyes faced each other, radiating something so intimate and joyful. Gina felt a profound sense of gratitude as she looked at her father and mother. Her success as a student with the highest GPA made her embrace her parents tightly. They shed tears together, and so did Celine.Celine was incredibly proud of her only younger sister. She never expected that Gina had worked so hard to achieve such a high GPA. In fact, Celine often underestimated her sister. She thought Gina's GPA was probably just average because, in her observation, Gina often played around, hung out outside, and dated Adam. She always seemed not very focused on her studies. However, her assumptions were proven entirely wrong. Behind her carefree attitude, Gina still worked very hard to be the best, taking responsibility for her tasks.Memories of Gina with severely injured legs that prevented her from walking and the high fever she once experienced made Celine cry endlessly. She knew it wasn't easy. If s
The afternoon felt scorching. Trucks carrying goods, along with other large vehicles, filled the crowded streets. Occasionally, the person behind the wheel would honk their horn to ease the traffic or warn other drivers to stay in line.Boredom suddenly struck the individual. They turned on the radio, selecting a channel to listen to. A melodious voice echoed from the channel. The person, who had been focused on the road, furrowed their brow slightly and checked the radio channel they had just tuned in.The man then chuckled a bit upon realizing that the voice behind the radio was someone he knew, Cindy, one of his friends from college.Zack, the person behind the wheel, smiled as he reminisced about the times he spent with Cindy, a calm and obedient girl. Cindy was originally from somewhere other city. There was Indonesian blood flowing in her veins.Zack himself never thought he could be close to a girl like Cindy. Back then, he accidentally got close to the innocent Cindy. She was
Two people exchanged glances. Their eyes locked. Their faces revealed a profound admiration for each other. At first sight, there were strange vibrations in the feelings of these two individuals of different genders. Joe, with his tall and well-groomed appearance, glasses, and tan skin, immediately caught Kylie's attention. From the beginning, she had always liked guys like Joe—tall, neat, and with brown skin.Similarly, Joe felt something strange creeping into his heart when his eyes met Kylie's. Kylie resembled his high school ex, but for Joe, Kylie was even more beautiful and cute."Aren't you going to invite us in?" Zack's question snapped Kylie out of her reverie. She was a bit nervous and had forgotten to invite her cousin and his friend inside."Come in," Kylie said, inviting the three of them in."Kylie, meet my friend from school," Joe extended his hand, introducing himself. "Joe."Kylie shook Joe's hand and shyly mentioned her name. Kylie's behaviour made Joe like her even m
The day was approaching evening, but the rain that had been falling since morning showed no signs of stopping. Meanwhile, two men sitting across from each other remained silent, pondering many possibilities."Are you really sure about Kylie?" Zack asked when his high school friend planned to make Kylie his girlfriend, even his future wife."Absolutely, I'm sure. It feels like when I met her, I had already known her for a long time, and we clicked. But I wonder if Kylie feels the same way about me," Joe said, then filled with doubt."Well, I don't know. You have to find out for yourself. You're the guy, haha," Zack teased his troubled friend."The problem is, you know I've been close to women, Sa. If not for sure, I would have been married a long time ago," Joe complained again."Good luck, Bro," Zack said, patting his friend's back.Two days after his conversation with Zack, Joe decided to take a break from work and suddenly went to pick up Kylie at her house. The white car suddenly p
"We're going home now, dear," Zack coaxed when he saw Celine looking exhausted.Celine's face was pale, and cold sweat was flowing down her temples. Zack was deeply concerned about his wife's condition. Understandably, the doctor had warned Celine not to overexert herself during her current pregnancy. However, Celine was stubborn.When she heard about her younger sister's engagement plans, she insisted on helping Gina with the preparations. Despite warnings from both Gina and her family, Celine's stubbornness prevailed."Not now, dear. There are still some things that need to be taken care of," Celine gently refused."Sweetheart, your condition is not favorable. Just look at you, pale as a ghost," Zack replied with a hint of irritation.Sometimes, Zack felt that Celine was too stubborn. He recalled their past, where Celine often acted selfishly and chose to leave him. Even after marriage, Celine's attitude hadn't changed much; if anything, she had become even more stubborn."Don't spe
After arriving home, Celine was immediately instructed by her husband to rest. Celine, of course, couldn't refuse, especially since Zack always reminded her of the recent incident. And Celine didn't want that to happen again.Celine was trying to close her eyes when Zack bid her farewell. Her husband would soon find the honey-grilled chicken that Celine craved. Celine felt very fortunate; in Zack's silence, he continued to pay attention to Celine's condition and desires."Be careful, dear. I also ordered the warm tea from there. If possible, not too sweet," Celine said with a smile."Alright, dear. I'm going now. Don't move too much, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you again," Zack replied.Celine just nodded, indicating that she understood what her husband had conveyed. Zack immediately kissed Celine's forehead and left.After Zack left, Celine felt very bored. She couldn't sleep again because she had rested all day at the clinic. Zack's wife then rose from her resting place
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