Melati hurriedly entered Lara's room, hoping that her worries wouldn't come true. Melati was traumatized by her employer's case, Seno, who suddenly collapsed with foaming mouth. She didn't want her mistress to experience the same."Ma'am!" Melati searched for her mistress, only to find her in the bathroom, concentrating on shaving her legs."Ma'am! I apologize for intruding. I thought you had fainted," Melati said, trying to steady her erratic breaths. Her heart was pounding too fast; the girl was overwhelmed."Ah, Mela? Sorry, I didn't hear you calling. I'm concentrating on shaving my legs," Lara said with a smile. She didn't mind Melati barging into her room because they both knew that something shocking had just happened to them."Alright, Ma'am. I just wanted to say that dinner is ready," Melati continued before excusing herself."Okay, I'll be there soon," Lara said quickly. She would continue her shower and then enjoy the dinner prepared by her assistant.***After finishing din
It's been more than two weeks since Seno disappeared without a trace. Lara became increasingly numb. Her daily life with Melati became routine. And her pregnancy was progressing."Ouch...." Lara hissed as she climbed the stairs to retrieve her belongings on the second floor. But her feet were already sore. Swollen. Currently, Lara's pregnancy was at 28 weeks."Ma'am, are you okay?" Melati supported Lara's weak body. The woman was leaning on the iron railing."Oh, yes. I just feel pain in my feet area. I was going to get the hair dryer in Seno's room, Mela. Can you get it for me?" Lara requested. This time, she tried to go back downstairs."Are you planning to go out?" Melati asked, nodding. Before going to the second floor, she would demand Lara to rest on the living room sofa to be safe."I want to see the clothes I ordered while buying some items. My school reunion is coming soon.""Oh, right. Let me get it for you, Ma'am," Melati offered.Lara seemed to think for a moment. But she
"Olivia?" Lara's eyes widened as she found her husband's mistress standing before her."Yes! It's me! Now, tell me, where is Seno?!" Olivia snapped with irritation. Lara was increasingly baffled."Haven't you gone too far? After having no shame, what's this? Have you lost your mind too? How dare you search for someone else's husband in the legitimate wife's house, huh?" Lara was not having it. She pushed Olivia to leave her house immediately.Melati trembled. She was afraid of the argument that was unfolding. However, Melati tried to stand strong and positioned herself behind Lara to be on guard. Melati didn't want Lara to suddenly be pushed back and fall, risking serious injury for both her and the baby."You!" Olivia stopped mid-sentence. She just realized that intimidating Lara wasn't easy. Her credit card payment was overdue, and Seno hadn't settled his debts.Olivia didn't know what to do. She also didn't have that much money to pay. Olivia's salary was only around 10 million rup
“Seno?” Lara stuttered. Behind Seno, she saw Olivia just getting into a taxi. Had the woman been released by her husband?"Prepare a bath. I'm very tired," he said abruptly. Lara immediately signaled to Melati. The assistant promptly prepared the bath as Seno requested."Where have you been, Seno?""Treatment.""Is that all you have to say?" Lara raised her voice. She felt very annoyed at Seno's attitude, as if he were dismissing all her concerns."Aren't you supposed to be happy? Your husband is fine. Stop asking so many questions. I'm very tired!" Seno went upstairs to his room without further ado."What?" Lara was speechless.Melati simply looked down, pretending not to notice anything. She maintained her professionalism to avoid being influenced by the couple's argument. "The bath is ready, Sir," Melati said, opening the bathroom door."Good. Please also bring a towel.""Okay, Sir.""Seno!" Lara chased after Seno, demanding an explanation. But Seno ignored Lara and looked at her r
Olivia immediately contacted Seno using her ghost phone. Seno forbade her from contacting him privately to deceive Lara. Olivia didn't run out of ways. The woman quickly called Seno and demanded her promise."What did you say?!" Olivia was startled. Seno had truly changed!"This is the last time I'll take your calls, Olivia! After this, there will be no more romantic relationship between you and me! Do you understand?!" Seno severed ties with his mistress."W-what?!" Olivia yelled angrily. "You can't end the relationship unilaterally like this, Seno!" she shouted."Why not?" Seno retorted. He seemed ready to face all the consequences of his actions."I—I will expose our affair!" Olivia threatened without thinking maturely."Oh yeah? Go ahead if you want to dig your own grave. Do you think the media will listen to the ramblings of a crazy woman?" Seno seemed fearless. Olivia was stunned. She was at a loss."You—!""That's enough! I've already sent US$ 50,000. That's the last fund for y
Seno, whether he liked it or not, had to grant Olivia's request. That crazy woman really caused a commotion beyond his expectations."Where are you?" Seno contacted Olivia when he arrived at the hotel lobby. The parking lot was quite crowded, and Seno had to park on the third floor because all the other lines were full."I'm in the lobby, come quickly!" Olivia replied coyly. Her eyes had been searching for Seno's figure since earlier, but he had yet to show up. It turned out Seno was in the parking lot. Olivia didn't expect him to come with his own car like that."I'm on my way!" Seno said hastily. He needed to meet Olivia and put an end to everything. Seno didn't want to be involved in her tricks, especially if Lara was involved.***"It's so crowded," Lara murmured as she entered the hotel lobby. Her reunion event was in a special meeting room on the 10th floor. Lara had to walk through the hallway to get to the elevator at the far end of the room."Oh, it turns out you're here too,
"Hi, everyone!" Olivia intentionally shouted, trying to catch the attention of the party guests."Uh? Olivia?""Yeah, that's Olivia, class of 2008!""Wow... she's really glowing!""Who's that next to her?"Whispers immediately filled the hall. Olivia got the attention she was hoping for. "Hey!" Olivia waved again to her friends in the corner of the room. The gossip group! The same group that had tarnished Lara's reputation."Aww... is that her boyfriend?" Sherly asked, intrigued, looking at Seno."Ah... Haha... you know it!" Olivia didn't deny it. Meanwhile, Seno just swallowed hard. He had to cooperate with Olivia to keep her from spreading his secret."I feel like I've seen him somewhere before," Sherly tried to recall, but Olivia quickly explained the origin of her secret lover. "He's Seno Adhijaya, don't you know him?""Oh! Wow! Yeah, I've seen him in a magazine!""Right! That's Mr. Seno, isn't it? Nice to meet you!""Oh, yes, nice to meet you," Seno quickly accepted handshakes fr
Mahya's body trembled as she saw Seno and Olivia approaching. It wasn't a trembling of euphoria or joy at meeting these two familiar figures, but... Mahya's body trembled with disgust and an inability to accept the fact that Seno was truly flaunting his debauchery in front of the masses."Y-you," Seno stuttered as he saw Mahya, who was so ingrained in his memory."Ah! Let me introduce, this is Mahya, one of our best reporters in the office," James began to approach Mahya. His instinct as a man seemed to dominate his reptilian brain, as Seno looked at Mahya with a gaze that James also understood the meaning of."Ah, Mahya, yes..." Seno pretended not to know her well, although James also knew that they had been involved in an accident some time ago. The accident had caused James to lose $1000 in an instant, so he was truly angry at Mahya.As James thought about it, he cursed himself more. How could his rational mind as a boss change in an instant as a love-thirsty man? James truly didn'
Shanon still lay weakly, Mia and Tomi were already in the waiting room. The doctor still couldn't allow them to visit because they weren't family members."How's the director?" Mia asked as Darren finally emerged from the inpatient room. "She's recovering, although she's still unconscious," he said softly. His eyes looked weary, very different from when they met before this tragic incident occurred."Mia, tell me anything I might have missed," Darren asked for clues. He would soon get Ian and Miriam arrested, but Darren wanted to uncover the truth that had been hidden all this time."Ian and Miriam have been playing both of you. We only found out after catching Alice," Mia said, with Tomi nodding in agreement."Their internal lackeys are being interrogated by investigators. We've reported Ian and Miriam, but it seems they've already fled, Sir," Tomi sighed. It seemed their actions were too late. Somehow, Ian and Miriam had managed to escape so quickly."So, what did they take?""For n
"Darling!" Darren shot forward, embracing Shanon whom sprawled on the carpet. Ian and Miriam watched from behind the door. The threat wasn't over."Hand over your car keys!" Ian barked. Darren didn't even hear the thin man's shout. He was busy checking Shanon's pulse and breathing. Every vital area he could ensure to make sure Shanon was still alive."Call an ambulance!" Darren yelled while carrying Shanon in his arms."We're not your maids. Can't you see? We're the villains here." Ian scoffed, making Darren's anger reach its boiling point."What have you done to her?!""We were just playing around with her a bit. Not our fault if she struggled and ended up like that."Darren's eyes reddened. He immediately dashed towards the door to take Shanon to the nearest hospital, but Ian stopped him."Hey! You can't go anywhere!" Ian grabbed Darren's collar and pulled him back."I need to get to the hospital! Shanon is dying!""Hey, where do you think you're going? Aren't you leaving her behind
Shanon collapsed with a bloody leg. Miriam immediately grabbed her hair and dragged her out of the warehouse to get to a brighter light. Shanon's blood smelled metallic and scattered along the floor as Miriam changed the location of her torture."Let me go!!" Shanon screamed in pain. The stinging sensation and anger piled up inside her. How could she be tortured in her own home?"I already told you, didn't I? Stop acting up! It will only hurt you even more," Miriam scolded. Ian staggered behind them. After successfully removing the bloody pen, he quickly wrapped the wound with a scarf he took from the warehouse."Bastard!" he cursed, groaning in pain as the burning sensation pierced his skin. Shanon's stab wounds were deep, but he didn't have time to treat it. They needed to get that signature quickly."Get it done real quick! Sign that fucking document and we will call an ambulance to take care of you! We don't want your life. What's so hard about it?!" Ian shouted, and Shanon now tr
Shanon narrowed her eyes; she clearly recognized him. The man was ...."Ian?" Shanon's voice caught, as there was someone else standing beside Ian. The woman was very familiar to Shanon. "Miriam? So ... it's all your doing?" Shanon screamed. Angry. But Ian quickly darted towards her and hit the back of her neck.Shanon passed out.In the darkness. She could still imagine her lover's face. Darren. Oh, if only the figure welcoming her behind the darkness was her husband. Miriam would be very happy.Sadly, it's not him.Darren would never be there. Not anymore.***"Urgh...." Shanon groaned. She was awake now. It seemed she had been unconscious for several hours. Her hands couldn't move, nor could her feet. Even the sound that came out was just a whimper. She couldn't speak. Black tape bound her perfectly."You're awake, it seems," Miriam exclaimed from behind the door, which now gave Shanon some clues about her whereabouts. She was in the back warehouse, near the stairs. Why were they k
Tomi was stunned, unable to believe what he had just heard. His eyes shifted from Shanon's devastated face to Mia, who was trying to hide her anxiety."I'm sorry, Mrs. Shanon, I don't know what to say," Tomi said, his voice trembling. He had known Shanon and Darren for quite some time. Their relationship seemed strong, solid, and full of love. Even Tomi, who only interacted minimally with the couple, could feel the positive vibes of their bond."What do you think, Tomi?" Mia asked, her voice sounding fragile. She was also shocked by the news, but she didn't want to exacerbate the situation. Mia wanted to hear the legal solutions regarding this divorce lawsuit from the expert.Shanon simply bowed her head, trying to hold back the tears that kept flowing. Her heart was shattered into pieces. Shanon felt like she was in the middle of an endless storm. Problems upon problems hit her without permission. No matter how hard she tried to hold on, she wouldn't be able to push away her feelings
Shanon ended the board meeting with determined steps, albeit somewhat forced. She couldn't afford to be careless. If even one more unintentional mistake surfaced, her position would truly be in jeopardy!"Great job, Ma'am! We can call it a day." Mia said, patting her boss on the shoulder. The work hours were over, and now their relationship transcended mere colleagues; they were more like friends fighting hard to navigate the crisis in the company."Thank you, Mia. I'm really tired," Shanon replied, her face pale. Mia felt concerned, especially since she knew that Shanon's conflict wasn't just about this video issue, but also about her separation from her beloved husband."I'm sure you'll become stronger and more resilient facing all these challenges, Ma'am. Trust me, God will provide a way," Mia reassured, embracing Shanon tightly. She could feel her friend's heartache. Shanon wasn't expressive enough, and that only made Mia feel more sorry for her. If only she could cry like most wo
The scheduled press conference finally occurred. Though not in her prime state, Shanon came with her usual aura: resolute, menacing, and also captivating. Her long hair was left loose but styled with transparent pomade, giving off a sleek impression. Shanon was ready to conquer her enemies behind the mask of her firmness."Mrs. Shanon, is it true that the circulating scandalous video involves you with a male friend?" A journalist's question pierced Shanon's heart. Despite preparing herself, experiencing the sting of accusations was indeed painful."That's not true," Shanon quickly replied. She didn't appear nervous or trembling. Tomi had warned her to appear normal. This lie had to be an eternal secret for their team."What about your husband's reaction? Is he not bothered?" Another question slipped, successfully almost crumbling Shanon's attempted defense.The blonde woman fell silent for a moment. Shanon tried to gather strength, but... her tears fell unexpectedly."Ah... I'm sorry.
Shanon and Mia walked side by side to the legal office on the 10th floor. The hospital, with its 12 floors, was quite efficient, and the management offices were located on the top two floors."Mrs. Shanon! We've been waiting for your arrival," Legal Manager, Tomi Winarta, extended his hand for a handshake. Shannon accepted it gracefully, though she can no hide her vulnerability. Shannon suffered from a severe shock. She couldn't deny it."What's the situation?" the blonde-haired woman asked with a worried expression. Tomi just nodded and gestured to his assistant. Unfortunately, the assistant only shook his head, saying, "It's bad, Ma'am. Several articles related to this scandal have been released, and we've received numerous complaints from the PR team."Shanon's heart felt torn apart. She never imagined that her problems wouldn't end with the argument with Darren but would involve her ex-lover as well."I should have sensed something suspicious from Ian! Damn it!" Shannon growled an
Shanon was completely asleep and hadn't had a chance to move to the bed. The golden-haired woman could only crawl to the sofa and curl up there until the next morning.“What the–” Shanon exclaimed as a barrage of messages flooded her phone screen. All from… Ian! “What is this?” Shanon trembled after receiving an unwanted video… a video of their kiss!‘Honey, I could easily release this video to the public and ruin your reputation, but I won't do it. Last night a nasty rat has captured our intimate moment, and I've beaten him to a pulp. You know what you should do.’“Fuck!” Shanon immediately called Ian amidst the pounding headache. How could she stay calm? And… what should she do? “Ian?”“Shanon ... darling! How are you?” Ian answered with a smooth voice. Instead of feeling pressured after such an unpleasant incident, Ian seemed to be on cloud nine.“What should I do, Ian? This video must not leak anywhere!” Shanon insisted. She didn't want Darren to hate her even more, especially his