Afgan exhaled irritably while staring blankly at the bowl in his hand.
“Eat!” Afgan ordered in a cold and rude tone.
Adelia remained curled up on the bed and ignored Afgan's orders, making the man boil even more.
“Sit!” Afgan raised his tone of voice and pulled Adelia's hand roughly so that the woman sat on the bed with a wrinkled and unsightly face.
“Open her mouth!” he ordered as he spooned out a mouthful of porridge. Adelia kept her lips tightly shut. The woman was feeling very upset about the life she had to live. She went on a hunger strike because she didn't like being locked up like this. It was like hell for her.
Her eyes glazed over as she looked at Afgan with a frightened but determined heart.
“You are stubborn! Why don't you want to eat?”
“Answer!”
Adelia gasped in shock because Afgan's voice was so loud. Adelia bit her lip in such frustration that her lips
Afgan drove his beloved blue sports car quickly to the hotel. His mind was full of romantic memories of the night that had passed, but Adelia's image continued to plague him. Afgan was frustrated because he couldn't get the image of his cheap wife out of his mind.Upon arriving at the hotel, Afgan strode steadily to the door of the room where the two of them had spent the night together. Afgan's heart was filled with hope and the desire to repeat that beautiful moment. However, as soon as the door opened, a strong scent of perfume filled the air, making Afgan furrow his brow.“Why is this perfume so pungent?” Afgan muttered to himself. He hoped Melinda was inside, perhaps preparing to surprise him. With cautious steps, Afgan entered the room, hoping to find Melinda in the bathroom.“Melinda,” Afgan called in a half-whisper.He loosened his tie with growing expectation. However
Afgan looked at Melinda, who was still staring at him with an expectant gaze. For some reason, at this moment, Afgan felt a deep anger towards Melinda, but Afgan realized that the most important thing was to make sure Melinda knew she was innocent.“I believe in you, Mel,” Afgan said softly. He took Melinda's hand gently. “We will overcome this together. Nothing can ruin our relationship, including Edward.”Melinda smiled, feeling relieved to hear Afgan's words. They both held hands tightly, ready to face any obstacles that lay ahead of them.Edward looked at them from afar with deep resentment, but he knew that true love could not be destroyed by jealousy or intrigue. “Looks like I'm going to start winning Adelia's heart,” muttered Edward where he stood.“I'll be waiting in the room. Make sure you go in and continue with the surprise you want to give, don't let me wait too long,” Afgan said as he stroked Me
It was early in the morning and Afgan was getting ready to go to the office. In the two weeks since his wedding, his work had been neglected. Not to mention spending too much time with Melinda.Afgan intended to finish his work today and meet Melinda, who was definitely sulking about being left out last night.Afgan looked at Adelia who was sleeping with a warm gaze while tying his tie.Honestly, Afgan felt that if this woman was not a cheap woman, then she was the one who would be able to have Afgan's heart. Thinking of his meeting in front of the pharmacy and the contraceptive drugs that fell, made Afgan realize that this woman was not appropriate.The look on his face turned cold again and then snorted. Afgan gritted his molars and left Adelia's room.“Sir, are you going to have breakfast first?” asked the butler as Afgan walked past.“No
The butler was surprised and immediately restrained her. “I'm sorry, madam, but that may not be right. We have to abide by the rules given by the master or we'll all be fired.”Adelia smiled kindly, “You will be fired because I received a guest? On what grounds?”“Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine. I'll just have a quick word and tell him that I'm fine, he's just a friend visiting the sick” said Adelia as she stood up and pulled on the IV pole that was connected to her hand.The butler looked at her skeptically. “But...”Adelia raised a hand gently then said, “I understand you're just doing your duty. But trust me, I'll be fine. Edward and I are good friends. He's just visiting, and must have been waiting a long time.”After pondering for a moment, the butler finally relented and replied, “Very well, then. We believe in your words, madam. But, if there is any problem, please defend us immediately.”Adelia smiled sincerely and clasped the old Butler's hand gently. “Don't worry, I w
The butler was called into Afgan's study. The old servant immediately fell to his knees in fear.Adelia, who heard this report, immediately hobbled into the same room. She had to defend the old butler!“Who allowed a man into the house?” asked Afgan, looking intently at the old butler who was kneeling and crying in fear.Receiving no answer, Afgan threw a glass and the shards hit part of the Old Butler's face.At the same time, Adelia had arrived at Afgan's office. Immediately, Adelia hugged the Old Butler's body.“Afgan!” Adelia shouted, returning the glare.“You've lost your conscience!”“What do you mean?” Afgan stood up and his temper rose to the top of his lungs.“She's old, you youngsters shouldn't be rude like that! Even if she is a servant!”Afgan looked sharply at Adelia, but after seeing the angry and disappointed expression on her face, he felt compelled to give a defense of himself.“I don't have time for this useless act, Adelia. This servant has neglected her duties. I f
The nurse, who had been assigned to look after Adelia, immediately opened the IV needle in Adelia's hand and corrected its location.“Is she okay?” asked Afgan frantically, while the cell phone in his pocket rang continuously.Adelia shook her head softly from the pain, her eyes glancing at the butler who was wiping her old face. Dar*h was still flowing from the broken glass that had hit him.“Sus, please take care of the butler's face. I'm fine,” Adelia said in a soft tone holding back the pain.The nurse turned to the butler and nodded. “Just a moment, I'll finish this first.”Meanwhile Afgan just sat on the other side of the bed and looked at Adelia with a thoughtful gaze. The cell phone in his pocket kept ringing, although the sound was small, but it was quite disturbing.“Why don't you pick up the phone first?” Adelia looked at Afgan with a strange look.Annoyed, Afgan took the phone out of his pants pocket.The phone screen showed the name “Melinda” and 19 missed calls by the sa
In the evening, Adelia waited for a long time, but Afgan did not come home as he had promised.Devastated, Adelia looked out of the window. The rain was falling harder and the room felt colder.Adelia tightened her blankets and tried to sleep, hoping that by morning, her body would have recovered and she could return to work.Her contract was still two years old. Adelia decided to look for another job after the contract was over. She couldn't stand having to see Melinda and Afgan all the time. The hotel also caused the fateful night that she had to deal with as a bad trauma for the rest of her life.Adelia really wanted to put everything behind her, save up money to pay off her father's gambling debts and then pay back the dowry that had been used to pay her father's debts. The only way to get out of this marriage was to be able to pay the dowry.Staring blankly at the window, Adelia finally drifted off to sleep.Meanwhile, at Melinda's house, Afgan could not contain his anxiety. He w
“Well, that's it,” said the nurse as she stuck a small plunger in the syringe site.“Thank you.”“I'll take my leave now that you've recovered, make sure you get a good rest and eat a nutritious meal,” said the nurse then stood up and carried her medical kit out of the room, leaving Adelia and the butler.“I'm going to work today,” said Adelia as she stretched her body which felt stiff.“... but, doesn't the master want you to rest at home?” asked the butler, getting nervous.“I have to work, I can't be spoiled. It's only a day's fever, it's okay,” Adelia said, pulling the butler's hand and clasping it like a child clinging to its mother.“I will eat regularly. Why don't you prepare some delicious food for me? I'll take it with me and eat it at the hotel later.”Adelia's words made the butler's eyes sparkle.“Okay, I'll go and prepare that meal now.”Immediately, the butler stepped out to do the task Adelia had given him, making the woman smile meaningfully.Adelia immediately went in
Melinda approached him, gritting her teeth. "Time? It's been a year!""Shintya needs her father, now! You're going to ruin her first birthday with her father's absence?"Afgan growled, "You don't understand!""You don't understand, Afgan! You make Shintya and me feel insignificant!" Melinda shouted, eyes glazed over.Afgan felt stabbed by those words, but he persisted. "I'll be gone for a while, Mel. This is important to me.""And what is important to you, Afgan? What did you choose to miss this moment for?" Melinda tried to get his attention by grabbing the sleeve of Afgan's shirt."Let go!" she exclaimed.Afgan shook his head. "You can't just force me to leave Adelia.""She's dead, Afgan! Please come to your senses!"The argument escalated, and a tense atmosphere pervaded their home. Melinda felt disappointment and frustration growing inside her. Afgan, fixated on his inability to let go of the past, decided to leave w
Melinda felt a change in her relationship with Afgan. Although their home was again full of laughter and jokes, there was an ice that had slipped between them. Every day, Melinda felt like she was facing a cold wall that she couldn't break through. The once beautiful landscape became increasingly bleak.Melinda tried to find answers within herself. She brooded in the middle of the night, sitting on her bed with her mind in turmoil. The silence of the house was only interrupted by the wind tapping on the windows. "Why has everything changed?" she muttered to herself."Why is there no love from Afgan at all even though I got rid of that pesky woman?"Melinda always slept alone without Afgan. The cold nights were shared only with her little daughter who often woke up at night to ask for milk.A message arrived on Melinda's cell phone in the middle of the night, as she was giving milk to the little one.[Already asleep?]Melinda simply read the
That morning, the sun shone down on their house. Afgan sat on the terrace, gazing at the garden that was slowly recovering from its sadness. Today he wasn't working because it was the first day of 2024.All employees were closed and Afgan had no reason to work. The gaze of the man looked pseudo and passionless.Even though the house was quiet with most of the servants on leave, there was still the occasional sound of little Shintya crying.However, the man did not respond to the cries at all.Melinda came out of the house, realizing that their conversation last night still left a wound in Afgan's heart.“I'm sorry, Afgan,” Melinda said regretfully. Her hands made a tray of tea and glasses. Melinda stepped closer to Afgan and tried to soften the heart of the man who became her husband.“I know it's complicated, and I want to make you ha
“What do you mean?”Afgan begins to tell Achmed about Bayu and Melinda having an affair. However, Achmed didn't fully believe him until Afgan showed him the evidence from the recording.“Let's do a DNA test!”“Okay! Do as you wish, Dad!” Afgan refocused on his work and didn't respond to his father's words anymore.The DNA test was conducted, but Melinda cunningly managed to trick the test employee by taking a sample of Afgan's own hair left in her comb.A few days passed, and the DNA test results finally came out. Achmed held the results tremblingly, seeking reassurance over the doubts that crept into his mind. Afgan, who had kept his distance from the situation from the start, finally agreed to speak.“Dad, what's the result?” Afgan asked, his face determined.Achmed stared at the DNA test results, then nodded with disappointment. “This... this is impossible. The results show that
“You want to visit his grave? Yes! Go to the Sanjaya Cemetery in South Jakarta. Look for Adelia's name in block 7!” exclaimed angrily through the speaker on the cell phone. The man did not allow the security guard to open the door at all.Hearing the answer from Edward, Afgan's heart was like being struck by lightning and then slashed by several sharp daggers.“Go back to your country. I really hate you for letting Adelia's body go up in flames like that!”Edward switched off the call from the security cell phone. With languid steps, Afgan stepped back into his car.The fact that Adelia was dead made his life feel shattered. With his left hand, he called his father to check the whereabouts of Adelia's grave.The driver drove the car back to the airport. Afgan did not wait any longer, but went straight to the private plane that his father had prepared.“Go home, Afgan,” Achmed said wearily.“Adelia's grave is indeed there and the death
“What's going on, is she awake?” asked Afgan with his breath caught in his throat as he ran from the hospital parking lot to his mother-in-law's room.“No, she's not conscious yet, but we heard her delirious.”“Edward and Adelia?”Kanya nodded her head confidently, as did Achmed.“It seems that Adelia's loss has something to do with Edward.”Afgan snorted harshly then said, “that man has been gone since before the fire. He's already engaged to Emily and they've returned to Dubai.”“How could he be involved?” Afgan asked himself.“It's good you're investigating, Afgan. All the possibilities are there, after all you've been looking all this time.”“By the way, what about Melinda, have you forgiven your wife?” Achmed asked his son.Afgan looked at his father meaningfully. He couldn't bear to tell him the secret abou
“I'm sorry for everything I did that was unfair to her, Father.”Afgan's voice was hoarse and his chest felt tight.Achmed looked at his son with compassion. “We cannot control fate, Afgan. Life sometimes gives us difficult trials, but we must fight through them together. We will find a way out, and we will be stronger than ever.”Afgan nodded, the man wiping away tears with the back of his hand as he absorbed his father's words. Although there were still many questions and uncertainties ahead, he felt that his family would find a way to get through all the obstacles and rebuild their lives.The two sat together in the hospital waiting room, embracing each other in an emo-laden silence. They realize that in order to achieve happiness in the future, they must unite and support each other, even though the road ahead may still be difficult and full of challenges.“I'm going to go calm down, D
Achmed Al-Futtaim and Kanya, Afgan's parents, heard news that shook the peace of their lives. The news of their in-law's sudden shock and illness left them with a deep sense of anxiety. Their faces were etched with expressions of worry and fear as they walked at a brisk pace towards the hospital.On the way to the hospital, Achmed and Kanya's minds were full of questions and worries. They looked at each other, and their eyes reflected deep worry. They couldn't imagine that their lives would change in an instant due to this unexpected situation.“Really, what happened?” said Achmed in a hoarse voice, trying to calm himself and his wife Kanya's heart. “Hopefully this is just a temporary incident and everything will be fine.”“True, I can't imagine how Adelia would feel if she were still alive. We as a family owe so much to that poor woman who is nowhere to be found.”Kanya clasped Achmed's hand tig
“No! Bik Minah!”Brak!Afgan felt like his spine was broken. The pain of the wooden beam hitting his small body.He could feel the searing heat and hear the sound of small explosions. The scene grew darker, until Afgan felt as if he was drowning in a sea of fire.He vaguely saw in the flames Adelia waving with a warm smile. Next to her was Bik Minah and on the other side was Adelia's father.“No! Don't leave me!” Afgan shouted frantically.Afgan woke up with a gasp, his body covered in cold sweat. The morning sun shone brightly through the window of his spacious bedroom. He sat bolt upright in bed, still struck by the nightmare he had just experienced.His heart was racing, and his face was pale. His nightshirt was also stained with sweat. Afgan tried to push the shadows of the dream from his mind, but the memories of the extravagant events in his house continued to haunt him. The licking flames, the panic, and