"What?! Marry Ashton?"
"Yes. I beg you, please marry and become Ashton's wife after I'm gone."
Alice shook her head repeatedly. Just arriving at the hospital, she was already confronted with an unreasonable request.
Last night, after returning from class, Miranda contacted Alice. The woman, six years older than Alice, asked her to come to the hospital immediately.
In essence, Miranda and Alice were just stepsiblings. Alice was originally the baby brought by Rauf Alfarezi when he married Fatima, Miranda's mother, who had been a widow for a long time.
Being cared for together made Miranda cherish Alice as a real sister. Until Fatima passed away, Alice stayed with Miranda, as Rauf himself disappeared, leaving the two of them behind.
During last night's phone call, Miranda asked Alice to come quickly, claiming she had something important to discuss. Alice had no idea and never expected that her sister would suddenly ask her to marry her brother-in-law upon arriving at the hospital room.
"Don't be crazy! Why should I marry Ashton?"
Miranda took a deep breath. Staring intently at her sister, she tried to reach for Alice's wrist and gently held it.
Miranda hoped dearly. After explaining, she wished Alice would understand and grant her request.
"Alice, you know that I am seriously ill right now."
"I know that. But it doesn't mean I should accept your very unreasonable request."
"This is not unreasonable, Alice. My time may be running out soon. It could be tomorrow, the day after, or an hour from now that I won't be here anymore.
"And then?"
"I'm just worried that after I'm gone, Ashton will have no one to accompany, care for, and take care of all his needs. Besides, you'll be alone too. No one to watch over and protect. By marrying each other, at least you can complement each other."
"No," Alice shook her head repeatedly. From the look in her eyes, she rejected her sister's request. "Your request is too absurd."
"Alice, I beg you," Miranda pleaded. Tears even fell, wetting her cheeks. "I know this sounds selfish, but I believe you two are compatible and can complement each other. Rather than Ashton marrying another woman, it's better if he marries you. So, please fulfill my last request to marry Ashton after I'm gone."
Alice took a deep breath until her shoulders lifted high. Honestly, she was confused about how to respond. After all, there were many dreams she wanted to pursue after finishing her studies.
Instead of preparing to chase her dreams, she was asked to marry and start a family. Moreover, the partner would be a man she didn't love.
"Don't worry," Miranda continued. "After getting married, you can continue your studies and pursue your career. Besides, Ashton is not the type of husband who likes to restrain."
"It's not that simple," Alice said in confusion. "You know that Ashton is a lecturer at my university. What will other students say if suddenly I marry a campus lecturer and even the brother-in-law of my sister?"
"For a while, you can keep your relationship secret while at the university. Besides, you'll graduate soon, right?"
"Why do you have to force this, huh? Alice also knows that Ashton will definitely—"
"Relax. Ashton has agreed to marry you. Now, it's just up to your decision."
Alice fell silent at that moment. Despite her efforts to object, her words were immediately countered by Alice's final statement that Ashton had agreed to marry her in the future. In this situation, what other way could Alice use to refuse?
"I beg you. I'm not asking for anything. Please grant my last request—"
Before Miranda could finish her sentence, her condition suddenly deteriorated. Her labored breathing made Alice panic, and she immediately called the medical team for assistance.
While crying, Alice prayed, hoping her sister's condition would improve again.
***
In a different place, Ashton intentionally visited his parents' house. He intended to convey Miranda's request for him to remarry after her passing.
"Do you want to marry Miranda's sister? Did I hear that correctly?"
Zein looked surprised to hear what his eldest son was saying. Suddenly dropping by, and now bringing such shocking news.
Zein knew that his son's wife was seriously ill. From the start, he never prohibited Ashton from remarrying and marrying Miranda, who claimed to have a short lifespan.
However, Zein truly did not expect or anticipate. Today, he learned that his son planned to remarry, especially with a woman who was the sister of his daughter-in-law.
"Ashton doesn't want to. But Miranda keeps insisting. She argues that there won't be anyone to watch over and protect her sister after she's gone. So, Ashton came here to ask for your opinion."
"Ashton... Papa is okay with you if you want to remarry as long as you're capable. When do you plan to get married? Are you sure?"
"So, according to Papa, what should Ashton do? Honestly, Ashton doesn't love Alice."
Zein was silent for a moment. Presented with a question by his son, he also started to ponder.
Zein realized that Miranda's condition was worsening. But, he never once thought that his daughter-in-law would willingly let his son remarry.
"Papa has no right to interfere in your household affairs. You're already an adult. You can decide what's good and bad for your life. As long as you can, Papa won't object. The important thing is, after you get married, you must take responsibility. Don't neglect or hurt your wife just because you don't love her."
"Besides, love can grow over time," Hana added, responding to her husband's words. "Papa and Mama even got married because of an arranged marriage and didn't love each other at first. But look at us now. We've been able to endure until this moment, right?"
Ashton remained silent, not giving a response. In his silence, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing an unknown number calling, Ashton intended to ignore it. But, seeing that the number kept calling, he believed there must be something urgent.
"Hello."
"Ashton. It's Alice."
Ashton raised his eyebrows momentarily. Wondering where and for what reason his sister-in-law's sister was calling him. Although he knew Alice was Miranda's sister, Ashton rarely had conversations, let alone greetings, via phone calls or text messages.
"Ashton," Alice called again.
"Y-yes, what's up?"
"Miranda," the woman on the other end said tremblingly.
"Miranda? What happened to Miranda?"
"Her condition is deteriorating. Please come to the hospital quickly."
Ashton didn't say anything more. Ending the call, he hurriedly went with his parents to the hospital.
Upon arrival, Ashton was informed that his wife had been moved to the ICU. Right in front of the room, a doctor was waiting to provide the latest updates and explanations."Mr Ashton," called the male doctor handling Miranda's case at the hospital.
"What's happening to my wife, Doc?" Ashton asked anxiously. His face showed concern, fearing something bad had happened to his wife.
"Mrs. Miranda's condition is deteriorating. The medical team and I deeply apologize. We can't do anything more."
The doctor bowed his head, resigned to Miranda's condition, which seemed beyond help.
Meanwhile, Ashton seemed frozen for a moment. His lips felt dry as he struggled to respond.
"I think, Mr Ashton, you should see Mrs. Miranda before it's too late."
Ashton nodded. He quickly stepped into the ICU. There, he found Miranda lying weakly, with Alice by her side, waiting.
"Miranda..." called Ashton when he positioned himself next to his wife.
"Ashton..." Miranda replied weakly. Her eyes looked melancholic, her face clearly showing signs of weakness, as if she was enduring the pain that was currently striking her. "I'm sure my time is near. I'll be gone soon."
"Don't say that, Miranda." Ashton hissed, shaking his head, asking Miranda to stop speaking. "Don't say that. You're not going anywhere. You'll be fine."
"No," replied Miranda. "I'm sure it's time for me to go now. I hope, after I'm gone, you'll keep your promise."
Miranda then glanced at Alice, signaling for her to come closer. "Alice. After I'm gone, Ashton will take care of you. I hope you can live safely and comfortably with him."
Miranda then turned to Ashton again. This time, it was her husband whom she addressed.
"Ashton... I entrust Alice to you. I beg you to take care of her and love her. Please don't ever neglect her. Especially, don't hurt her feelings."
"Miranda—"
"Please keep your promise."
"Miranda, I promise," whispered Ashton softly. His voice sounded heavy, suppressing the sadness that had been gnawing at him as he saw Miranda's condition worsening.
"Ashton... my head hurts so much. It will burst, and I can't bear it anymore."
Ashton then approached, giving her a brief hug. He then brought his face closer, kissing Miranda's cheeks and silently guiding her to recite the tahlil prayer before she finally departed.
Ashton was truly overwhelmed by sadness. On the fourth day after Miranda's departure, he still seemed to linger in the atmosphere of mourning. Many family members had tried to console him, but Ashton appeared to continue closing himself off. It was as if Miranda's departure had truly shattered his life.He couldn't even bring himself to start the day for work. Engaging in even the slightest activities, he seemed completely devoid of enthusiasm. It was as if the center of life within Ashton had suddenly stopped rotating forcibly."Ashton, how long are you going to be like this? It's not good to linger in sadness for too long," Zein expressed his deep concern. Never before had he seen his son so deeply distressed."Mama is sure that Miranda wouldn't want you to mourn her like this," Hana added. Alongside her husband, she tried to make Ashton understand and put an end to his grief. After all, there was no benefit in sinking too deep into sorrow."From the beginning, I knew that Miranda
Upon the departure of her sister and to avoid unnecessary back-and-forths during mourning events, Hana asked Alice to stay at Ashton's house for a few days.Feeling that her time was sufficient, and also not wanting to overstay her welcome at her late brother-in-law's house, Alice decided to bid farewell. Moreover, she had many tasks and responsibilities to attend to.Since Ashton's parents happened to be staying there as well, Alice chose to say her goodbyes before leaving. She wanted to express her gratitude for the hospitality she received during her stay."Aunt. Uncle..." Alice greeted as she approached Hana and Zein, who were sitting in the living room. "I want to say goodbye for now."Hana and Zein both looked up, offering warm smiles in response to Alice's words."Why the rush?"Alice smiled politely and shook her head. She didn't want to overstay her welcome, and there were academic and work responsibilities waiting for her."I have to leave because there are matters I need to
Alice looked down shyly. In front of her, Hana Syanaz was busy sorting through and selecting clothes for her to wear later.Like Ashton's previous statement, today the birth mother of the man came to pick up Alice and even helped pack her belongings. Instead of taking Alice straight home to Ashton's residence, Hana made a detour to one of the famous boutiques.Alice thought that the mother-in-law of her late stepbrother stopped by intentionally because she wanted to buy clothes or was looking for something.However, Alice's assumption was completely wrong. As soon as they entered the boutique, she found out that Hana was actually looking for clothes for Alice to wear in the solemnization ceremony.Yes, Alice had to be aware. Once again, quoting Ashton's words from last night, whether they liked it or not, the two of them had to prepare because the day after tomorrow, they would soon be getting married, as promised to the late Miranda."Alice.""Alice Ashborne."The baritone voice of t
Ashton occasionally appeared to be a little bow-headed. Taking deep breaths repeatedly, the man tried to dispel the nervousness that now enveloped him, filling him. Even though this wasn't his first experience getting married. Moreover, despite the tagline of no love involved, he couldn't deceive himself that the nervous feeling still haunted him.Meanwhile, right beside him, sat El Rumi. The sharp-nosed man occasionally engaged Ashton in conversation. Intentionally teasing. The aim was to keep his older brother from being too tense through each step of the wedding process unfolding tonight."Just relax. Don't keep your face all tense and nervous like that. Just treat it like replacing a dry towel. Besides, you're a Pro, meaning you have experience with marriage, right?"Ashton immediately looked up, then turned. Staring sharply, then putting on a slightly annoyed expression. It seemed unfair that his younger brother called him a pro at marriage. Did they think he had been married mul
"Should I go to the room first? Alone?"After being instructed by his siblings and cousins to rest immediately, Ashton immediately invited Alice to go to his room. Instead of continuing to be the subject of ridicule, he'd rather avoid it altogether. Otherwise, the temptations and teasing from his cousins could be even worse than before.However, as he was about to climb the stairs to the second floor, the tall and handsome man stopped in his tracks. Once again, his name was called, this time coming from his father who asked him to bid farewell to distant relatives who were about to leave."Yeah. Why? You scared?" Ashton turned around. His eyes coldly met the gaze of the woman who was now his wife. "You heard Abi calling me just now, right?""No, it's not like that." Alice quickly shook her head. She was just asking. Why was Ashton getting so touchy?"So what's the problem then? Or do you want me to carry you to the room?"Alice blinked. She was momentarily surprised by her husband's b
Alice feels like she just wants to escape from campus. She remembers well that today there's a schedule where Ashton will be teaching at her campus. Previously, when she was still his sister-in-law, Alice was just relaxed. Despite rarely, and even hardly ever, exchanging greetings outside of academic matters, she didn't care much about Ashton's presence or his cold demeanor towards the students. But now, especially after yesterday's incident, Alice feels traumatized. She's even afraid of meeting or facing her husband. Imagine. After shouting at her and making her cry, Ashton didn't apologize at all. He even acted casually, as if nothing had happened between them. The man even went as far as giving a warning which made Alice feel uncomfortable again."Never dare to touch something that doesn't belong to you. If I catch you damaging property again in the future, not only will you change rooms, I might even consider moving you out of this house."Alice thought, after marriage, her husba
To relieve boredom, after class, Alice intentionally stopped by at a coffee shop. Her head was spinning thinking about which company she should choose for her internship, which was already very close.Alice had been confident about registering herself with companies that were on her 'wishlist' that she had made long ago. But, once again, the dream vanished. Everything was chaotic because of Ashton, who stipulated not choosing the same companies as their friends.Now, Alice was confused. Where should she look for a company to do her internship?"Alice!"Lost in thought, she heard her name being called. When she snapped out of it, Alice looked up to find Rumi standing right in front of her, smiling broadly."It's so lucky to meet you here. Can I sit with you? The other seats are all taken."Alice nodded slowly. Then she gestured for Rumi to sit in the empty chair in front of her."What are you doing here alone?" Rumi asked casually."Just doing laundry.""What?""I'm at a coffee shop, o
Throughout the day, after finishing one class, Alice seemed busy sorting out internship matters with Rumi. Fortunately, what the guy promised was indeed delivered. As a result, Alice, who was initially feeling overwhelmed, now could breathe a sigh of relief. Alice admitted that asking for help from insiders really felt different from the independent path. Not only that, starting tomorrow morning, she could even begin working. So, what other blessings from God should she deny?"Rumi, thanks a lot for your help. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be clueless about which company to intern at. You know your brother set such annoying deadlines."Rumi nodded with a smile. Just from his face, it was evident how satisfied he was. It was a joy for him to have successfully helped a pretty girl like Alice solve her problems."You're welcome. As long as I can help, I'll be there for you. Besides, it's easy to just slot you in as an intern at my office."A broad smile immediately appeared o