Part 1 : Meet Jack

At the end of the night, a black shadow loomed from behind the curtains of my room on the second floor. I was shocked and scared. My husband is not at home. As usual, he must still be in the nightclub, hanging out with the prostitutes. My husband will be home in the next few days when his money runs out and I'm the perfect target for him to practice karate.

 "Who are you?" I asked carefully. My chest was shaking violently. If the shadow belonged to a robber, then he killed me. No answer. I sneakily walked to the window. I held my bulging belly from 16 weeks pregnant.

 "It's me," whispered a male voice.

 "Who are you? Why so dare to come here? Can't you see in front of the gate there is a security guard who will swiftly catch you whenever you're off guard?” The shadow slowly entered through the ventilation openings, accompanied by white smoke that rose like cotton. I was so scared.

 "Please, don't kill me," I begged, my body shaking. The smoke gradually eased and it became clear in front of me, a man wearing a black robe and clothes. 

"Who are you?" I asked again. The man smiled. Sweetest smile than any candy in the world.

 “I'm Jack, coming from the top of Mount Merapi. Weren't you the one who came with that sly man yesterday and you cried because you were tied to a tree?" 

            "How do you know, Jack? No one was there at the time. I almost died because my husband was angry. If it wasn't for the rope that bound me untied, how could I have survived?" 

"I am your helper." 

“But… but… I don't feel your presence, Jack. The rope fell off on its own and I was able to run as hard as I could until I met my husband who was still struggling with his broken car engine.” 

“I came not from this world you live in, Jenny, but from an astral world that you may not understand. Not everyone can see me unless I disguise myself as an ordinary human like you.” I shook my head not understanding. 

"So you're a ghost? Or some kind of jinn and demon?” Jack approached me. His sharp eyes pierced my heart. I secretly inhaled his breath, the smell of musk creeping into my feminine side. We were caught in a long silence, pitting each other's warmth from each other's breaths. 

"How do you know my name, Jack?"

 "What don't I know, Jenny? Even where your husband is, I know." Jack leads me and we sit alone on the edge of the bed, huddled together as if in a tight space. He wrung my fingers as he continued to stare at me. Within seconds, I was lying helplessly with Jack on top of me. I was unconscious for some time. What I understand, the sunlight has entered through the curtains and is so blinding.

 When I wake up, I can't find it Jack. Also my husband, until this morning, he has not come home. I bit my lip, imagining Jack's kiss last night. He was so warm and romantic unlike Kevin, my abusive husband. Not once or twice lashes from his belt landed on me every time he wanted to fuck me.

 "Is this just a dream?" I asked myself. “But the dream is so real. I can still feel the pulse of that passion. I descended the stairs with light steps as light as a feather. 

Without brushing my teeth first, I drank a glass of warm water that I poured from the dispenser. That's when I heard Kevin's car engine blaring in front of the gate. 

“Shit! He again. He shouldn't have come home. Let him die on the road to be run over by a truck or into a ravine," I cursed.

 But, even though I was angry, I still did my duty as a wife. I opened the door for him and pretended to be friendly.

 "Why did you just come home?" I asked. 

"Hmmm, there's an important meeting at the office," he answered as he walked into the house.

 “Meeting until morning?” Kevin stopped walking and turned his head at me. "You are so fussy, did you eat something wrong?"

 I looked down. I regretted why I had to raise my voice to question him.

 "Make hot chocolate milk for me," he ordered then. I looked away. How ironic! A request that is far from providing a living for a legal wife! 

"Okay, I'll make it up. Now take a shower first," I replied. 

"Is there hot water?" 

“To water you until you die?” I whispered only in my heart. But I'm still a normal human who has feelings of affection. So, it's enough for me to think, I don't need to say it directly. 

The rest I can only nod and do whatever he asked. Kevin suddenly grabbed my hair that I was in a disheveled bun. "What is this? Who did it?!" he shouted thunderously.

 I am surprised. What did Kevin find around my neck? Kevin led me—still grabbing—to the boutique room. There was a large mirror that I used to fit customers' clothes. In front of the mirror too, Kevin pointed to a crimson mark on my neck. I do not believe it! So Jack really exists. He is not just a dream that grants my longing for love. 

“I… I don't understand. Maybe it was a mosquito bite. There's been a lot of mosquitoes lately," I explained. 

Kevin grabbed me so hard that my head popped up. “What do you do when your husband is not home, Traitor?!” 

“Kevin, this hurts! Don't you feel a little pity for this wife of yours? Do you actually love me or not? If all the time you keep torturing me like this, I could die! Is this what you want so you can freely play with lots of girls in a nightclub?” 

A hard slap hit my face until I fell. Kevin then left me just like that. I'm tiredh cry. This time, I'll take on that bastard with all my strength. 

After making Kevin a cup of chocolate milk, I took a shower. In the bathroom, I took a closer look at my body. Oh my God, Jack made it sweet. There were three red marks decorating my neck and chest. This cannot be allowed. I have to hide it from Kevin as much as possible if I want my life to be saved. 

Towards noon, Kevin left again without saying goodbye. I watched him from inside my boutique which is located next to my house. 

“Send one million to my account immediately. I need to fix this dilapidated car," Kevin wrote via text message to my cellphone. I sighed. Already misbehaved, still want to rob me of my income! For a long time I thought, whether I will comply with his crazy wish or not. But, if not, am I ready to lose my life?

 A dark blue motorcycle stopped right in front of the boutique. A burly man whose face was partially covered by a mask, descended and entered without removing his helmet.

 "Is there anything I can help?" I asked. The man took off his helmet along with the mask strap that tied his ears. 

"You! Are you Jack?" I cried in disbelief. The man smiled. His smile is still the cutest in the world.