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"No need to answer; I already know what's in your heart. You thought Vano was the only one who could save you, but you forgot that my son is already married. Or maybe you remembered but didn't care about Alexa's existence because you thought that one encounter wouldn't result in anything in your womb. But it's not impossible for what you thought was trivial to end up just as I imagined. If that night Vano had done it, and you got pregnant, would you ask my son to take responsibility? Don't say that you wouldn't want to demand responsibility, because a child must have a clear identity in this country, to take care of all their needs, both health and education, and ensure their future. Don't assume that we are foolish and willing to be deceived by your innocence."
"Sir, you're wrong. I never thought that way."
"Don't try to deceive me because everything you did is not new in this world. You also disappointed me for what happened that night. There's nothing wrong with you considering yourself just an ordinary friend or one of your students, certainly not him whom you asked for help. While you know the risks that could occur when he came to see you."
Amber swallowed hard. A hearing like this was certainly never in her thoughts because she thought the issue had been resolved.
"So, what do you want now, sir? I admit my mistake in choosing Vano."
"Thank you for admitting your mistake, and I hope you can learn from all of this. I don't like it when someone disturbs my family's life, especially Vano and my wife, Chelsea. So, as usual, with great reluctance, I have to remove you from my son's personal life. I want you to be willing to leave this city and go far away from all of us. Although Frans means nothing to me, he has a child and a wife, and because of this discomfort, it might make Vano keep thinking that you still need him. Still feeling guilty about what happened that day, even though it wasn't his fault, but your carelessness."
"I understand, Sir. I'm ready to accept any consequences. Whatever you give to me."
"Good, in that case, I will arrange your relocation and find a new place for you, just like the other disruptors in my family's life. And before that, you have to meet Vano and Alexa at the same time, apologize to them, and reassure them not to worry about your condition anymore. I also hope that if, by any chance, you get pregnant, you keep it to yourself because when you contacted my son, you obviously knew the risks involved."
Carlos took out a piece of paper from his desk drawer, the same thing he would do with Amber to ensure that there would be no more disruptors in his family, especially disturbing a marriage that had been going smoothly.
Amber read the agreement for a moment. Her eyes welled up as she saw the many points that would pierce her if she dared to violate Carlos's rules. However, she couldn't refuse because she knew who the man in front of her was.
Rather than ruining her career, she decided to obey. After all, this was all her fault, her carelessness and lack of awareness that she didn't know there was a big trap prepared by Celine for her. With trembling hands, Amber signed the agreement. She stood up from her seat, saluted Carlos for the last time, and left the room.
Amber would use the remaining time to resolve the existing issues and bid farewell to all of her students because, starting today, she would no longer teach there.
Once one issue was resolved, Carlos also left and met Chelsea, who had been busy trying to contact him, urging him to quickly resolve his meeting with Amber. His wife even muttered incomprehensibly and asked him to speed up all the work he was doing.
She didn't want to be contradicted at all. That was Chelsea's attitude lately. She often threw tantrums for no apparent reason and didn't want to sleep with him. She claimed that her mood was completely ruined and didn't want to be approached at all. Like now, Carlos was 15 minutes late picking up Chelsea who had been waiting for him at home.
She said she would accompany him to work at the office. But what actually happened? The slightly congested traffic made Carlos struggle to arrive on time, and Amber was also late, so the resolution of the matter went a bit slower than expected.
"Daddy, where have you been? You promised to meet two hours ago, and now this? I've been waiting for you alone at home for almost 4 hours," Chelsea complained, immediately hitting Carlos's arm as he entered the room.
"Darling, I didn't expect the traffic to be so bad, and Amber was also late."
"What, she was late, but you still waited for her to come, right? So, is she more important than me now? Is that how it is now? Vano is forbidden from taking responsibility for Amber, and now Daddy is planning to...," Chelsea couldn't continue her scolding of Carlos because he had already embraced her.
Silenced with a kiss that was so soft and so intoxicating. Of course, Chelsea was very carried away by the touch her husband gave her. He just followed what Carlos was going to do to him. Chelsea also let it go when her husband took off the pajamas he was wearing.
"He said he asked Daddy to hurry up and come to the office, but why are you still wearing pajamas like this?" Carlos protested, finally being able to say what he wanted to say.
Just imagine, Chelsea was urging him to come quickly, but in fact the woman was only wearing pajamas.
"I already packed earlier." Chelsea sat on the edge of the bed, slightly pushing Carlos away from her. Just now she was lost in the man's touch, but now she was talking about the pajamas she was wearing.
Chelsea pointed to the chair near the dressing table. “That's the dress I wore to go to the office. In fact, Daddy was late. Yes, I've changed my clothes again. I'd rather sleep all day at home than be given false hope. Daddy would rather be with Amber than me."
"Honey, how could Daddy care more about Amber than you? Wasn't Daddy's purpose in meeting him to solve the problem? If it doesn't end, Daddy will get rid of him alive. "Unfortunately, all these problems can pass without any violence or cruelty, so you don't need to worry that all the problems have been resolved and we can live about now," said Carlos.
93The man again bit both of Chelsea's lips. He knew what had to be done so that his wife would forgive him for a mistake he didn't make.“Smelly Daddy.” Chelsea rubbed her chest. Several times she felt nauseous, smelling the perfume wafting from Carlos' body."Smell?" Carlos kissed the shirt he was wearing. "No. Smells as usual. The perfume you chose that time.”“But it smells.” Chelsea brought her face closer again. He felt nauseous again because of the smell.Instead of making a fuss, Carlos took off his shirt."If it's like this?"“Emmm…” Chelsea moved closer. “Not bad. Come on, open your mouth," he asked. Tilted his head and embraced Carlos' nape. Continuing what they were doing earlier.Chelsea, who had lost her pajamas, of course felt guilty if she didn't finish. She wanted to and only then would she release her husband to the office.Carlos felt Chelsea's back. Removing the hook there, two circles came out that were getting denser. The tip feels even more open and tempting."I
94The journey Vano had to make was quite long, not only because it was a considerable distance but also due to traffic congestion, which made it take even longer than expected."Such bad luck!" he cursed as he parked his car in the hospital parking lot. He looked at his wristwatch. It had taken him over two hours, an incredibly long time.He called Carlos, inquiring about his wife's whereabouts because he couldn't find her in the emergency room."Alexa has been moved to a regular ward. Just head to the fourth floor, Dahlia Room.""Alright, Dad," he replied and hurriedly looked for an elevator. He was genuinely worried now."What happened? How is Alexa?" he immediately asked Carlos, not realizing that in the room, there were not only Alexa but also Chelsea."Wait a moment; is Mama also sick?" Vano questioned, impatiently waiting to find out what was wrong with his wife and stepmother.Carlos nodded. "Yes, both of them are sick, and their illnesses are the same.""W-what do you mean, D
95"Your defense is accepted," Vano said, chuckling slightly in response to the two women who were now on both sides of him. He felt happy to put himself in the right position, loving Chelsea as a mother and beginning to love Alexa for the sake of their child.After the graduation ceremony was held, Carlos invited his extended family to stay at a hotel to celebrate this important event in Vano's life."Dad, it's really unbelievable that you didn't tell Mama that you're the dean," Chelsea grumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed with a pout on her lips."It's not that I didn't want to tell her, but we've been busy dealing with problems that never seem to stop coming our way," Carlos replied, sitting near Chelsea, guiding his wife to lean back on the bed's headrest, and placing her feet on his lap. He began to massage Chelsea's feet gently.Carlos was sure that Chelsea's feet must be sore and tired from standing and walking around to greet her friends. Chelsea should have been doing her
96Effortlessly, she overtook the taxi and drove ahead, then on a straight and relatively empty road, Celine turned around to face the taxi directly. She floored the gas pedal, pushing it all the way down, and closed her eyes, ready to either take Alexa's life or land herself in prison."Oh my God, Van... it's only been a few minutes," Alexa sighed, receiving a video call from her husband. She could see clearly that Vano was in a car."Never mind. I want to see my beautiful wife's face. Is that not allowed?""It's allowed, but not now.""I understand, but I can't be far from you. If only the office and campus were in the same direction, I would go with you."Alexa laughed. "You're really something.""Lex,""Yes?""I'm falling...""Driver, that car..." Alexa startled when she saw Celine's car heading toward her.In a matter of seconds, the accident couldn't be avoided because Celine had done it suddenly. The taxi driver had no time to react at all."Alexa!" Vano screamed, watching and
97Vano cursed Celine for making his wife like this. He couldn't see the beauty of Alexa's face anymore. He couldn't see the sweet curve of her lips. Everything had been replaced by bruises from the strong impact of the accident."Eca, can you hear me, my love? Ca, honey, can you hear me?" Vano sobbed, holding Alexa's hand that hadn't given any response."You know, Honey." He caressed the ring on Alexa's ring finger. "I should have given you this ring at the hotel that day. I should have knelt before you and declared my love. Only then should I have put it on your finger. But you fell asleep first. So, I had to put it on while you were sleeping." Vano swallowed the bitter lump in his throat. He wanted to say so much to his wife, but he was physically unable, even for speech.Vano tried to hold back his tears, but it was futile. The tears flowed, like glistening pearls, wetting his cheeks."My love, wake up... Our child hasn't been given a name yet... Just like I promised you that day,
98New Story"Is Mom crazy? Arranging a marriage for me with that village girl?" Bryan shook his head. "I refuse, Mom! Marry Alesya? As you know, she's a truly rural woman. Where can I show my face if she becomes my wife?" He slumped onto the couch.Bryan massaged his temples, which throbbed with pain due to his mother's request that he marry Alesya, a village girl and the daughter of Mr. Aditama, his father's business associate."What can we do? Alesya's parents have done a lot for our family. As you know, Dad's business wouldn't be as big as it is without Mr. Aditama's help. They helped distribute agricultural tools to the villages, allowing us to live comfortably.I see Alesya as beautiful and kind. There's nothing wrong with her. It's just you who are too obsessed with metropolitan women. Always dressed provocatively with cleavage showing everywhere." Mariana sneered. "Alesya is modestly dressed, even if it's not modern. But a little makeover, and she'll be much prettier than your
99Alesya, who was neatly dressed in a white kebaya, sat beside a man. He was said to be the eldest son of her father's business partner and a close friend. The man's father was the one who would settle all of her father's debts, on the condition that Alesya had to marry his son.As a result, after the 40-day memorial ceremony for her father, Alesya and Bryan immediately proceeded with the arrangement.Starting with the marriage contract and a small reception, only inviting close family and friends. Nothing more than that, to ensure that Bryan would agree to marry Alesya. And all of this was Shabila's wish.Shabila didn't want Alesya and Bryan's wedding to be a grand affair. She didn't want many people to know that they had gotten married and have them label her as a home wrecker. Even though, in this situation, it was Alesya who had come and caused a disruption."I hope you don't have higher expectations for this marriage."A brief sentence from Bryan to Alesya, while they were in th
100"Even if it's not in line, it's one of the conditions you have to follow," Handoko raised an eyebrow. "Do you think your father doesn't know what's on your mind?"Bryan swallowed nervously. He was afraid his father would find out all his secrets and Shabila's."W-what do you know?" he asked anxiously. Afraid of revealing everything and breaking up with Shabila."If you don't live here, I'm sure you and Alesya will never have children. You will never touch her, and worse, you'll make her uncomfortable and drive her away. That won't happen until you have a child!""I-it's up to you, Dad," Bryan stammered, walking away from his father before all his secrets were exposed. He was eager to avoid any more discussion, especially when it involved Shabila.In her room, Alesya shook her head. She wiped away the tears that had flowed before she realized there was someone else in the room besides herself."I-I think you're in the wrong room. Not me!" She tried to stand, leaning against the doo
Gibran continued, "As for our divorce, I've already agreed to it. We'll proceed with the legal process, and you'll be free to start a new chapter in your life. I hope you find the happiness you deserve."The conversation between Viska and Gibran marked the beginning of the end of their tumultuous marriage. While their emotions were still raw, they had come to a mutual understanding that it was time to move on and seek happiness elsewhere.Gibran's frustration and pent-up emotions poured out as he defended his actions. He felt betrayed by Viska, who had consistently pushed him away and made unfavorable comparisons with Nicholas. Their relationship had become a battleground of insecurities, and Gibran had sought solace with Shabila.Viska's accusations stung, but Gibran was determined to make her understand the context of his actions. He continued, "Viska, I don't want to justify what I did, but it was a result of our broken marriage. We both contributed to its downfall. I needed someth
190"Also," Bryan paused, kissing Silvi's lips briefly."Don't forget that the night we were together, I can assure you, it's my child."Silvi shook her head. "It's not Devin's child. Do you think after that night, I didn't do anything with other men? Did you really think that night was the only time someone touched me? No, there have been many other nights with so many men because I felt like I wasn't pure anymore. So I was free to do it with anyone since my life was already a mess.""S-so... instead of slightly more ruining myself, and the last time it was done to me was by Devin. That's why he's willing to take responsibility. He's also convinced that this is his child."Bryan let out a bitter laugh, releasing Silvi from his embrace. "Is that so?" He loosened his tie, which had felt suffocating after hearing Silvi's explanation. "Let's prove that what you said is true." He took off the suit jacket that clung to his body.“W-what are you doing?” Silvi stepped back. Hugging her own b
189"No way! I won't leave until I meet Gibran. He has to take responsibility for this child," Shabila insisted, refusing to budge. She held onto Viska and stood her ground."Leave, I said! Go!"Viska couldn't bear Shabila's stubbornness and forcefully pulled her arm, nearly causing Shabila to stumble."What's wrong with you!" Shabila pushed away Viska's hand and fixed her disheveled hair. "Are you afraid your husband's actions will be known to your parents? Or is it that you refuse to accept the truth?" Shabila began to rant."I don't understand what you're saying. Now leave!" Viska demanded."Wait, Viska! Mom wants to ask this woman something." Viska's mother restrained her daughter and turned to Shabila. "Why did you let my granddaughter get pregnant? Don't you know he's already married? What do you want from us? Money?"Shabila seethed with anger. Her dignity felt insulted when the middle-aged woman mentioned money."Do you think I'm a lowly woman who just surrenders her body to a
188Shabila spent the whole day in frustration, angry that she couldn't meet Gibran at his cafe. She paced back and forth in her room, thinking of ways to meet him."Do you think you can avoid me forever? You won't be able to, Gibran. I have to make you take responsibility for the child I'm carrying. You won't be able to escape. Just wait and see."Shabila clenched her fists, planning a thousand ways to meet Gibran. "If I can't find you at the cafe, I'll come to your house. Let's see if you can still avoid me," she muttered to herself.Gibran decided to visit the club where he had met Shabila some time ago. He had a bad feeling about Shabila's visit to his cafe and wanted to find out what had really happened between them that night. Honestly, Gibran didn't remember much because he had been heavily intoxicated that night.Upon arriving at the club, Gibran called one of the waitresses and conveyed his request to meet with the club's owner."I'd like to discuss something important with y
187"What brand would you like, Miss?" The employee asked while displaying several different brands of pregnancy tests.Shabila looked puzzled, which only fueled the employee's suspicions. "Is this your first time buying a pregnancy test?" she guessed with a condescending glance."Y-yes," Shabila replied hesitantly. Seeing the employee looking down on her, Shabila's heart began to boil. "I am already married, just so you know. Here's my ID," she said abruptly, opening her wallet and showing her ID card, which still stated her marital status as MARRIED. Her divorce from Arya was only religious; it wasn't legally recognized yet.Seeing the ID placed on the counter, the pharmacy employee became flustered. She was torn between embarrassment and guilt. "I'm s-sorry, Miss, I didn't mean to—""It's fine, I understand!" Shabila retorted sharply, then pointed towards the pregnancy tests. "So, which one is the best?" she asked.She deliberately didn't want to prolong the issue since she wanted
186Several days had passed, and today was the ceremonial bath event for Silvi. Everything was well-prepared, and the guests were moved by the event, which was expertly guided by the paid organizers, arranged by Silvi's parents. Silvi's large family wore matching light green kebaya, while Devin's family, who were present, wore light blue kebaya. The event was conducted with great solemnity, and Silvi looked beautiful despite wearing makeup that wasn't too flashy.This ceremony included many symbols and motifs that served as lessons or guidelines for the couple, influencing their married life. These symbols or motifs mainly conveyed advice and useful insights for the newlyweds' life together. That's why Mama Silvi insisted on holding the ceremonial bath event, even though Silvi and Devin had been married before.In addition to the food ordered for the guests and relatives, the organizers had prepared specific dishes usually served during this ceremonial bath event. These included tumpe
185Meanwhile, Silvi and Devin listened to the doctor's explanations during the examination. Silvi's pregnancy was already at three weeks. The doctor prescribed vitamins and anti-nausea medication since Silvi mentioned she often felt dizzy and nauseous. Devin didn't ask any questions because it was his first time in a obstetrician's office. He was confused about how to react. Silvi was the one who asked all the questions.Silvi got her next appointment scheduled, and then they left. Devin and Silvi went to the hospital's pharmacy to pick up the prescribed medicines first. Then, Devin asked Silvi where she wanted to go."I don't know. I just feel like lying down in my room.""Why's that? Don't you want to go out together?" Devin asked softly. They were now in the car. "How about having ice cream and buying some new sleepwear for you?""What's the point of buying sleepwear?""Because you're pregnant, and I want you to sleep comfortably. How about it?""I don't want to," Silvi said, maki
184As a father, whose heart wouldn't break upon learning that his daughter is pregnant with no official partner by her side? He felt like a terrible father, willing to do anything as long as the man who impregnated his daughter, Silvi, would take responsibility.Pregnancy is never an easy journey for a woman, especially without a husband by her side. The man Silvi referred to as the father finally decided to find Devin, the man who should be held accountable for what happened to Silvi. He took a taxi to Devin's whereabouts, hoping that he would indeed be there. Impatiently sitting in the taxi, the weary-looking man, no longer in his youth, stared at his phone screen. The journey from the city to the village was quite long, which was why he opted for a taxi. Besides, he didn't want any unpleasant conversations about Silvi if he had brought his driver along.Fortunately, he found out about Silvi's pregnancy before it was too late, or who knows what might have happened. He sighed wearil
183Nicholas didn't want anything to happen to their unborn child. So, he tried his best to grant her wishes. Besides, Alesya's request was relatively easy to fulfill, and it had been quite some time since they had visited her hometown."Are you happy?" Nicholas asked.Alesya turned and nodded. "I've really missed my hometown. As nice as it is to live in the city, the hometown is the number one place to visit," Alesya replied. "Besides, all my childhood memories are buried there."Hearing Alesya's response, Nicholas could only smile. He, who had lived in the city since childhood, never experienced life in the village. So, he didn't fully understand what Alesya meant. In his mind, Alesya might just miss the peaceful atmosphere of the village because the city was quite noisy."Get some rest; I'll wake you up when we arrive," Nicholas said after a moment of silence."Okay."Alesya adjusted her seating position to make herself more comfortable. She also slightly reclined her seat to make