"Laura, tomorrow morning I'm heading to Bali for a project. Are you okay staying alone in the apartment? If not, I can drop you off at your mom's place," Aryan said, breaking the silence without taking his eyes off the square screen in front of him, displaying people running and chasing after a ball. Laura had been sitting quietly for over an hour, just keeping Aryan company while he watched soccer, occasionally playing with her phone.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Aryan called out and pinched Laura's cute nose playfully.
"Mmm..." Laura mumbled half-heartedly, stealing a brief glance at Aryan. In truth, Laura didn't want Aryan to leave for Bali.
Click... Aryan turned off the TV with the remote control and placed it on the table.
"Hey, what's wrong? Is it that time of the month? My friend told me girls get moody during PMS," Aryan said gently as he changed his position to face Laura. He observed Laura, who was still engrossed in her phone, with a sm
"Noval? What are you doing here?" Laura asked, still frozen in place. It had been a year since she tried to forget her ex-boyfriend, and now he was back without an invitation."It turns out I could only hold back my longing for you for a year," Noval said as he approached Laura, wearing his characteristic grin."I want to go home," Laura replied coldly, refusing to let her gaze linger on Noval."I just want to talk to you for a moment. I'll be the one to take you home afterward," Noval said, his smile slowly fading as he noticed Laura's less-than-enthusiastic response. Noval admitted that he had been wrong to unilaterally end their relationship."There's nothing we need to talk about. It all ended a year ago, and it was because you wanted it, right?" Laura replied, her tone icy. She didn't want to rekindle her romance with Noval, especially now that her status had changed. She wasn't alone anymore; she was temporarily a part of the Al-Farizi family.
With the sweetest smile on her face, Laura walked toward Aryan and the beautiful woman. She observed the woman carefully, who appeared perfect in her knee-length black dress that contrasted beautifully with her fair skin. Her long, curly brown hair cascaded elegantly, and her natural makeup enhanced her features. Her 7 cm high heels added a sensual touch to her slender figure.Aryan smiled as he saw Laura approaching, and he reached for her hand, guiding her towards where the woman was standing."Vika, let me introduce you to Laura, my wife.""Darling, meet Vika, my college friend." Aryan introduced them one after the other, and Laura offered a friendly handshake. "Did Aryan just call me 'darling'?" Laura's mind suddenly went into overdrive as she tried to process something, her gaze shifting between Aryan and Vika."Laura," Laura replied, momentarily breaking Vika's contemplation."Vika!" Vika responded to Laura's handshake, looking at the young wom
Pretending to ignore Aryan, Laura kept herself busy setting the dishes on the table. Aryan, on the other hand, continued to observe Laura's every move, growing increasingly restless."Do you have nothing better to do than watch me like that? Go take a shower! Afterward, we can eat. I'm starving because you didn't invite me to eat earlier. You're so heartless!" Laura protested, glancing briefly at Aryan before grabbing the juice she had prepared and adding some ice cubes."Still half-past five; let's eat first. I'm hungry too. Besides, I can't wait to devour my beloved wife's cooking," Aryan replied playfully, winking at Laura. Laura didn't respond to Aryan's remark. She fetched two plates, one for Aryan and one for herself, and served rice on Aryan's plate, just as she always did."Thanks, dear," Aryan said as Laura handed him the plate of rice. Aryan was eager to dig into Laura's cooking. He admitted that Laura's cooking was just as delicious as his mother Lian
"Aray, in marriage, you must understand each other, love each other, and compromise. You can't just get angry over small things and run back to your parents' house without your husband's permission; that's a grave sin. If there are problems, they should be resolved calmly instead of walking away," Della said to Laura that morning as they cooked breakfast together."Yes, Mom, we're fine. You and Dad don't need to worry," Laura replied as she stirred coffee for Johan and Aryan. Laura took a deep breath; she couldn't imagine what would happen if they found out that the marriage would eventually end in divorce.Not long after that, Aryan and Johan returned and sat down to talk on the long wooden bench on the house's terrace. They seemed to be having a friendly conversation while enjoying the fresh morning air characteristic of the rural atmosphere. The classic house faced north with a spacious yard, and the tall mango tree, now in bloom, looked magnificent, surrounded by orc
Noval pulled his car over to the side of the road, took a deep breath, and expressed his desire. He didn't like being ignored like this."Why aren't you answering? It must be your husband who called, right?" Noval said, looking at Laura, who was only staring at the name displayed on her phone screen."Laura, give me one more chance. I promise to make everything right, and I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes," Noval continued, his gaze fixed on Laura, who still seemed indifferent."Laura?" Noval called out and was about to touch Laura's hand, which she pulled away instantly."I've already told you before, I'm married. Please don't bother me again," Laura replied, irritated. Although there were lingering feelings for Noval in her heart, she would not betray her marriage to Aryan for any reason. Even though their marriage might only last for eight months, Laura wouldn't rekindle her relationship with Noval. She wouldn't repeat the past.Nov
Upon arriving at Laura's apartment, she immediately went into her room and locked it from the inside. Her body slumped onto the bed as she cursed herself for being entranced by Aryan's charms. She was confused by Aryan's behavior, which could be sweet at times, but also harsh, often reminding her of their agreement. Laura was afraid that if she truly fell in love with Aryan, he would eventually divorce her, and she would be heartbroken, especially since Noval had just recovered. She wasn't ready to experience heartbreak again.*Knock... Knock... Knock...* "Laura, I'm hungry. Can you cook something for me? You haven't eaten since this afternoon. Aren't you hungry?" Aryan said from behind Laura's bedroom door after she had locked herself in her room for an hour. Aryan felt guilty for his earlier behavior at the hotel. He roughly ran his hand through his hair as there was still no response from Laura.*Click...* Laura's bedroom door opened just as Aryan was about to leave
"What if we just cancel that agreement?" Aryan proposed after Laura released her breathless kiss.Laura averted her gaze to the side to hide the blush on her cheeks. She felt utterly out of control, regretting her impulsive actions and feeling embarrassed. Her heart was still racing, and she struggled to calm it down.Aryan fell silent as Laura ignored him. He was unsure of what to say next. Laura's kiss had momentarily rendered him speechless. While saying "I love you" wasn't an option for Aryan, as he wasn't entirely sure of his feelings for Laura, he still needed time and a way to figure it out.Aryan's smile suddenly brightened as he remembered the dinner invitation with Vika. Maybe this was his chance to test his feelings."Laura, will you join me for dinner with Vika tonight?" Aryan invited, glancing at Laura, who was still gazing out of the window."What? Do you want me to be a mosquito repellent or something?" Laura protested indignantly.
"Good evening, Mr. Aryan Alfarizi... Let's get straight to the point, I don't like beating around the bush... How does Laura feel? Are you sure she's a good girl?" Aryan grumbled in frustration as he read a message from an unfamiliar number that suddenly appeared on his phone."Who are you? How dare you talk about my wife? If you're a man, meet me in person, you can choose the place and time," Aryan replied with intense emotion."Hahaha... Just relax, I don't have the time. Wait for another 5 seconds, and you'll be surprised." Before Aryan could respond to the mysterious message, his phone kept vibrating incessantly, inundated with dozens of photos. Fueled by anger, Aryan began downloading the photo files one by one. His eyes widened as he saw intimate photos of Laura with another man, culminating in a picture of Laura being embraced by a man in a car in front of the campus, and it was a photo taken after their marriage."Shit," Aryan muttered, he didn't expect