We don't need to speak with our emotions; we only need to talk heart to heart and bring forth the feeling of wanting to possess each other. *** After breakfast, they immediately got to work on their respective tasks. Emily began by cleaning the house, while Calvin organized his workspace, which would serve as his private room. The relatively bare apartment allowed Emily to prioritize her tasks efficiently. She decided to start by soaking the dirty laundry, including Calvin's clothes. Calvin had offered to hire a maid, but Emily had declined. She was accustomed to the never-ending housework and was never one to complain. The upbringing she received from her mother, Nadila, had made Emily a diligent girl who was no stranger to household chores. Nadila ensured that her children had a fair share of responsibilities, and it wasn't that she treated Emily any harder than her brothers, but it was the belief that women were the foundation and key to a successful family. In addition to cookin
"Should I move everything?" Emily asked as Calvin took out a few sets of clothes from the closet and laid them on the bed. "Nah, Emily, I'm just getting some of my work clothes," Calvin replied without pausing in his task of sorting through the clothes. "Are you sure you want to use the bathroom in there? Why don't you use your own bathroom, Calvin?" Emily tried to persuade him, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She felt like she was pushing Calvin out of his own room, even though she was the one staying in his apartment. "It's no problem. Put your clothes in here," Calvin instructed, pointing to Emily's suitcase, which was still in the corner of the room. Calvin was certain it was nothing compared to the clothes Emily would have delivered by her brother later. "Thank you, Calvin," Emily said, taking her suitcase. She placed it on the bed, opened it, and began putting her things into the closet. Calvin left, carrying a stack of clothes to his makeshift workspace, which he had turned in
You are like a cup of coffee in my life, a perfect blend of bitterness, sweetness, and addiction. *** Emily received a warm welcome from all the teaching staff who were in the room. She received numerous congratulations on her marriage for the second time. Their enthusiasm playfully embarrassed Emily, causing her cheeks to turn red. Among her colleagues, Emily was known as a friendly, kind, and humorous teacher. Wherever Emily was, laughter was sure to follow. Her three-day leave had made her fellow teachers miss the cheerful figure. Furthermore, Emily was the only teacher who was still single, so when she announced that she was about to get married, they were thrilled. Especially because during her year of teaching, Emily had never been seen with a boyfriend. Teaching was Emily's way of diverting the sadness and disappointment that Rama, her fRyancé who unilaterally canceled their wedding two days before the ceremony, had inflicted on her. What made it even more heartbreaking was
Calvin patiently and kindly handled each of his patients one by one until it ended precisely at noon. While Dita organized the medical equipment and tidied up Calvin's practice room, he reviewed the last patient's examination results to plan his next steps. Soon, a knock on the door interrupted Dita and Calvin's activities."If it's my wife, tell her to come in," Calvin said when he saw Dita about to head towards the door."Yes, Doctor," Dita replied briefly as she reached for the doorknob."Dr. Ryan, please, come in!" Dita greeted Dr. Ryan politely and ushered him into the room.Calvin and Ryan had been friends for quite some time, ever since Calvin was assigned to Medical Center Hospital two years ago. Ryan was a neurologist who often worked with Calvin on surgeries. They had known each other for a long time, having been in the same medical school. They had only parted ways when Calvin had to continue his medical education abroad."Well, the newlywed aroma is indeed different, huh?"
I'm just an ordinary human who sometimes feels pain when what I have wishes to have something else. *** Emily sat back, watching Calvin as he tidied up his desk. "No wonder you have so many patients," Emily quipped, breaking the silence in the white, medicinal-scented room. Calvin lifted his face and gazed at Emily quizzically. "What do you mean?" he inquired, mentally bracing himself for one of Emily's usual absurd statements. "People who are healthy would definitely get a heart attack when they see your cold face and sharp tongue. If it were me, I'm immune to this," she answered casually, successfully provoking Calvin. His guess had hit the mark. Emily always had a way of messing up his day. But rather than wanting to retaliate, Calvin stood up from his chair and walked over to the sink to wash his hands thoroughly, drying them with a tissue. However, as Calvin was about to return to his seat, he saw Emily muttering something, her lips moving silently as she appeared to be read
"Okay, if you still feel like I'm a nuisance in your life. Right now, we're going to your parents' house. We'll be honest with them that we don't love each other and will never fall in love with each other. So, we part ways..." Before Emily could finish her sentence, Calvin reached for the back of Emily's head and sealed her lips with his. Drowning out the words Emily was about to say.Calvin, whose initial intention was only to silence Emily's chatter with a sudden kiss, wanted more. Realizing that Emily was just silent without resistance, Calvin slowly savored Emily's lips, which tasted so sweet. But not long after Emily regained her normal consciousness, the girl pushed Calvin's body with all her strength, breaking the connection of their lips."Calvin, what on earth are you doing? You stole my first kiss, which I've been cherishing for a long time, reserved for a man who truly loves me!" Emily protested with a flushed face. Not blushing, but Emily was genuinely angry. She roughly
May I long for the owner of laughter who left an addiction? *** Since that day, Calvin and Emily started going to work together, except when Calvin had sudden surgery calls. Everything went back to normal as it was at the beginning. They would argue and even fight, but eventually, they would make up. Calvin, who initially felt constantly bothered by Emily's presence, began to get used to it. In fact, Calvin didn't have an appetite unless it was food prepared by Emily. Emily's quirky nature remained unchanged, but now Calvin was more relaxed in dealing with her absurd behavior, which he still wondered about. He often wondered where her quirkiness came from. Compared to her two older brothers, Emily was the most different. This morning, they were getting ready at the dining table in their respective work clothes. Suddenly, Calvin remembered something. "I almost forgot to tell you that we have a dinner invitation with the Setiady family tonight," Calvin explained, then continued to ea
"You always say that. Everyone says my body is sexy. It's only you who calls it chubby. Your eyes must be blurry!" Emily said in frustration, and then she added, "This is what they call curvy, Calvin!" Emily cupped her chest with both hands. Calvin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw what Emily was doing. Calvin shook his head, imagining his hand in that place."Okay, okay, let's change into another dress then!" Calvin entered Emily's room and opened the wardrobe to look for a suitable dress.Calvin started to go through Emily's clothes. On the top shelf were work clothes, mostly dominated by batik patterns. In the middle were casual clothes, and in the next row, Calvin found Emily's party dresses filled with jeans, T-shirts, and blouses. Calvin sighed in frustration and turned around to look at Emily, who was standing at the bedroom door."Not there, Calvin. Over there, on the far left," Emily pointed to the wardrobe specifically for party dresses."Why didn't you s
Andrew couldn't hide his emotion when he uttered the marriage vows. Just a few seconds ago, those sacred words resonated in a room adorned with white and silver tones. Andrew managed to pronounce them loudly and smoothly, accompanied by the harmonious echoes of the official announcement. Now, Andrew looked at the beautiful woman beside him, gazing at the woman in a white kebaya who had been lowering her face. Andrew reached for the fingers of the woman named Alice Nichole Wirawan and then placed the ring on her ring finger.Slowly, Alice lifted her face, daring to look at Andrew with teary eyes. With trembling hands, Alice switched to holding Andrew's fingers, placing the ring on his ring finger as a sign that their relationship was now recognized both in the eyes of religion and the state. Nothing could separate them now except death.After Alice kissed the back of Andrew's hand for the first time, Andrew kissed Alice's forehead while reciting a prayer. This was followed by a collect
Now they were all in the dining room except for Melinda, who had not come out of her room yet. Despite receiving a warm welcome from Papa and Andrew's younger sibling, Alice's heart was not at ease. The key was Melinda, Andrew's mother. She was the instigator of the arranged marriage plan between Andrew and Nafisah that Alice had successfully thwarted. This was the reason causing fear in Alice at the moment."Alice, are you feeling better?" Anindya asked, as Alice looked pale and anxious since her arrival."I'm fine Nin, I'm okay," Alice replied with a smile."There, your Mom finally came down. Women always need more time to get ready," Januar whispered so as not to be heard by the hijab-wearing woman currently descending the stairs.Andrew and Alice immediately approached to greet Melinda. Then Melinda sat next to Januar, facing Alice without saying a word. The woman stared at Alice expressionlessly, while Alice chose to lower her head, her heart pounding. Honestly, Alice wanted to g
Andrew remained silent while playing with the ends of Alice's hair as she leaned against his chest. The facts he learned today truly opened his eyes, making Andrew determined to keep Alice by his side. However, a significant obstacle lay ahead. Could he keep the promise he made to Alice? Could he prove to her that his love was not just a mere joke? This time, Andrew was truly serious about falling in love, a feeling he had never experienced before. His emotions for Alice were so strong that Andrew felt powerless. He was like a tortured man awaiting a death sentence, just waiting for certainty from Alice. Ahead were two obstacles that Andrew couldn't predict. How to thwart his arranged marriage with Nafisah and waiting to see how Alice's parents would react when he came. Everything was still unclear, making Andrew's heart feel uncertain. All he could do now was wait, because forcing his will on Alice would be akin to torturing her. And Andrew didn't want to inflict more wounds on Alice
"Do your parents accept a prospective son-in-law like me?" Alice said with a wistful smile, looking at Andrew who was driving seriously.Andrew remained silent. Unable to answer Alice's question because he had never introduced a woman as his girlfriend to his parents."I haven't tried," Andrew finally answered, seeing Alice's disappointed expression. "We will meet my parents soon after you're ready. And I hope that won't be too long," Andrew said firmly, then reached for Alice's fingers to hold them.Alice snorted in annoyance. Why did it have to be so complicated? Alice's intention was to corner Andrew, but it turned into a boomerang attacking herself."Ahem... So, who was the woman in a hijab you hugged at the mall that time? I'm sure it wasn't your sister Nindy," Alice asked, shifting the conversation in a teasing manner."Are you jealous?" Andrew teased, receiving only a head shake from Alice. "Okay then. I won't answer if that's the case," Andrew replied, holding back a smile."J
"Oh, my God, I forgot to inform Mr. Andrew. I might get scolded later," Lexy muttered while holding his phone.Andrew, who was still talking with his colleague, immediately excused himself to answer the call."What's wrong, Lex?" Andrew said, getting straight to the point."Alice is now in the hospital, Sir," Lexy replied hesitantly, successfully surprising Andrew."Since when?" Andrew asked, sounding clearly panicked. Now he was walking towards the exit door of the ballroom."At 7 pm, Alice had a fever again. Then...""Tell me, which hospital?" Andrew interrupted impatiently."Medical Center Hospital, Cendana Pavilion VIP 03," Lexy explained quickly.Andrew quickly took brisk steps towards the parking area. Due to his haste, Andrew didn't even reply to the greetings of the security personnel on duty there. In a rush, Andrew started his car's engine and swiftly left the building area. Ignoring his duties entirely, he considered the most important thing at the moment was to meet Alice
A beautiful woman of English-Indonesian mixed heritage walked casually down the hospital corridor. Despite nearing half a century, her age didn't seem to affect her beauty. Her glossy, black, long hair was neatly tied. There was not a hint of sadness on her face. Unlike most mothers who would panic upon hearing that their daughter was sick, she remained calm and composed. Two words aptly described the expression on Valerie's face: calm and composed.Lexy, who had just stepped out of Alice's hospital room, was startled to see Valerie's arrival."Where's Alice?" Valerie asked arrogantly."Inside," Lexy replied briefly. Regret instantly crept into Lexy's heart. It seemed he was greatly mistaken in contacting a woman who did not deserve the title of a mother.Valerie stared at Lexy sharply, as he stood there dumbfounded, blocking her way. "Can you step aside?" Valerie said sarcastically. Lexy immediately snapped back to reality and quickly stepped aside, making way for the arrogant woman
At exactly seven in the evening, Asih, accompanied by Zahra, arrived with the bouquet of flowers ordered by Lexy – red and white lilies, Alice's favorites. Since their encounter at the flower market, Alice had never been late in ordering flowers to adorn her apartment. Every three days, Alice would order lilies and use a courier service to deliver them to her apartment."Where's Alice?" Asih asked with a worried expression."Alice is in her room, Ma'am," Lexy replied politely, accepting the bouquet from Zahra's hands and inviting them to enter.Asih's eyes instantly welled up with tears seeing Alice curled up under the blanket. Slowly, she approached the bed and sat by Alice's side."Oh, Lord, Miss, how did it come to this?" Asih exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks.Asih held Alice's shoulder while gazing at the pale face before her. Then, with trembling hands, Asih reached out to touch Alice's forehead."Son, let's go to the doctor. Miss Alice has a high fever," Asih said in pan
"Alice, what's wrong, Sir?" Lexy asked in a panic, barging in past Andrew. Passing through the living room, Lexy caught a glimpse of an empty whiskey bottle there. Without permission, Lexy entered Alice's room. Fortunately, earlier when Andrew called, Lexy was on his way to Alice's apartment. In his rented house, Lexy was restless after seeing the news on television about the marriage of the man who had once been engaged to Alice. So Lexy decided to cancel a date with his girlfriend and chose to accompany Alice during the weekend. And indeed, Alice violated Dr. Henry's prohibition on consuming alcohol again."Liz?" Lexy called when he saw Alice curled up under the blanket. "You're really stubborn, I've told you not to drink again, but you keep breaking the rules," Lexy scolded while taking a compress cloth from Alice's forehead."Alice has a fever, but she hasn't regained consciousness; I don't know where she keeps her medicine," Andrew said, walking towards the bed. "I'm also confuse
And Andrew finally gave in. With uncertain feelings, Andrew reached for the back of Alice's head and gently kissed her lips. Shortly after, Alice released their lip connection to take a breath. She looked into Andrew's eyes, now filled with passion, and kissed Andrew's lips again to release all the burdens in her chest. In reality, Andrew was the only man who always worried about her, the man who always came at the right time. Without any resistance, Andrew took Alice's body to the bedroom.Andrew started his actions, playing with Alice's body until she felt crazy. Unlike usual, this time Andrew quickly finished their passionate encounter. Alice quickly got up from the bed and put on her clothes casually, while Andrew still stared at Alice's back with an indescribable feeling."Liz!" called Andrew, instantly making Alice turn and mumble, "As long as we're having sex, I've never used protection. I'll take responsibility if you get pregnant," Andrew said for the umpteenth time, looking