LOGINSophie is speech impaired; she communicates by writing on pieces of paper, and as such, she carries a notebook along with her wherever she goes. She was able to clearly express her anxiety and pain through these papers, sometimes through text messages too. It is fascinating that whenever she goes out, she doesn’t appear to be a pitiable figure. Sophie is bold and clever, and she is an enthusiastic being. She is a baker, and she owns her shop. Sophie’s voice is a great weapon, and there is a lot to her central figure. People assume that she has been mute from birth, but her condition was the aftermath of the sexual abuse she received from Mr. Adrian, her uncle, at the age of 12, and her aunt, Mrs. Eliana, feels shadowed by societal analysis, so she keeps quiet about it. Sophie decided to fight and survive, and she always chose to pick shattered pieces of herself broken.
View More“Ah! Panas!”
Teriakan gadis malang yang malam itu tengah memenuhi permintaan ayahnya untuk mengantarkan kue ke kediaman Wijaya. Semua orang langsung terlihat panik, tak terkecuali bagi pelayan yang tidak sengaja menumpahkan teh panas di tubuhnya, pelayan tersebut buru-buru minta maaf dan mengelap teh panas yang mengguyur tubuh Vida.
"Naya, kamu ini apa-apaan? Lihat, bajunya jadi basah, bagaimana jika tubuhnya juga melepuh?" hardik sang nyonya rumah, wajahnya juga terlihat cemas.
"Maaf Nyonya, maaf, saya tidak sengaja. Mbak, maafkan saya, saya tidak sengaja, izinkan saya melihat apakah kamu terluka? Biar saya bisa segera mengobati."
Vida yang masih tampak syok dan kepanasan membiarkan saja ketika pelayan yang bernama Naya membuka kancing kemeja kotak-kotak yang ia kenakan.
"Untung tidak melepuh, tapi ini rasanya pasti sangat panas, sebaiknya Mbak Vida melepas baju, agar saya dapat memeriksa mana saja yang terluka." Naya berucap panik ketika melihat kulit pundak dan dada Vida memerah.
"Tidak perlu, lebih baik saya pulang saja, baju saya sudah terlanjur basah, biar saya sekalian hujan-hujanan," tolak Vida kembali menutup tubuh bagian atas yang terbuka.
Bibir nyonya rumah terlihat mengerucut, memperlihatkan ketidaksetujuan, dan kembali berucap dengan sedikit memaksa juga dibumbui rasa khawatir. "Jangan menolak, aku sungguh sangat tersinggung. Bagaimana aku bisa membiarkanmu pulang dengan keadaan kacau? Biarkan pelayan mengeringkan bajumu, dan mengoleskan salep pendingin di tubuhmu."
Mendengar ucapan perempuan sepuh yang menatap dengan kilat mata dalam, Vida pun terdiam dan mengangguk pelan.
Kilat mata jernih nyonya tua beralih pada Naya, dan berucap. "Naya, antar Vida ke kamar sisi kanan lantai dua, agar dia bisa membersihkan diri disana."
Naya langsung mendongak dengan kelopak mata melebar, 'kamar sisi kanan lantai dua? Bukankah itu kamar tuan muda? Apakah nyonya besar ingin menggiring gadis ini ke ranjang cucunya?'
Meski sedikit bingung, tapi Naya segera mengantar Vida pada kamar yang disebut nyonya rumah.
Melalui pantulan cermin kamar mandi yang sangat luas dan juga mewah, Vida menatap pundak dan dada sebelah kanan yang tampak merah dan memprihatinkan.
Dia berdecak kesal beberapa kali, merutuki nasib sialnya hari ini. Seharian belum istirahat, hujan malah turun dengan begitu deras hingga dia tidak bisa segera pulang, dan sekarang dia malah terguyur teh panas, menciptakan rona suram di wajah cantik, yang biasanya selalu menampakan binar keceriaan.
"Tau begini, aku pasti sudah menolak mengantar kue ke kediaman Wijaya," gerutu Vida kesal.
Vida mulai menarik bathrobe warna putih yang sangat kebesaran di tubuh rampingnya, guna menutupi pundak dan dada yang memerah. Ketika Vida berjalan keluar dari dalam kamar mandi, wanita itu terkejut kala melihat sang pelayan yang menunggunya dengan salep di tangannya.
Seusai pelayan itu membantunya mengoleskan salep di tempat Vida terkena air panas dan pergi, kilat mata Vida mulai mengedar memindai kamar yang ditata dengan sangat simpel dan juga sederhana, namun Vida tidak menaruh kecurigaan sama sekali jika pemilik kamar tersebut adalah seorang laki-laki.
Tiba-tiba, Vida merasakan kering di tenggorokannya, dia sangat haus. Hingga saat melihat gelas kaca yang teronggok bisu di atas nakas, dia tak bisa menahan diri untuk meneguk cairan bening dari dalam gelas sampai tandas.
Bibirnya melengkung puas karena dahaganya terobati. Namun, entah mengapa, wanita itu justru merasakan kelopak matanya memberat, sehingga Vida menjatuhkan dirinya ke kasur empuk di belakangnya.
‘Mengapa … aku mengantuk sekali?’ batinnya, tepat beberapa detik sebelum dirinya terlelap.
***
“Selamat ulang tahun, Davin!”
Confetti meledak begitu saja ketika seorang laki-laki berpostur tinggi yang memiliki paras tampan di garis wajahnya yang tegas membuka pintu. Ucapan selamat ulang tahun bersahut-sahutan menggema dari mulut para asisten, tukang kebun, dan juga nenek Wijaya. Menciptakan lengkungan senyum pada bibir tipis yang sangat manis.
Begitu lucu, di usianya ke-27 tahun, dia masih mendapatkan kejutan ala anak TK. Tapi demi menyenangkan hati sang nenek dia pura-pura bahagia, karena hanya nenek Rumi satu-satunya keluarga yang dimiliki.
Usai melakukan ritual acara ulang tahun sederhana yang begitu menggelikan, Nenek Rumi bergegas menggiring cucunya menuju ruang makan. Berbagai macam hidangan yang sudah dipersiapkan, terlihat memenuhi meja makan dan masih tampak hangat.
Pria tampan tersebut segera melepas jas dan juga dasi yang ia kenakan agar lebih santai. Tangannya juga menyingsingkan lengan kemeja putih yang ia kenakan, kemudian meraih piring dan mulai bersantap malam.
"Davin, nenek sudah menyiapkan hadiah untukmu di kamar, aku harap kamu tidak terlalu lelah malam ini, karena besok akan menjadi hari yang sibuk untukmu," ucap sang nenek seusai makan malam dilakukan.
Davin terlihat menaikan alis, ada getaran aneh yang tersirat dari ucapan sang nenek, ia juga bisa menangkap senyum Naya yang begitu rumit, namun ia terlalu lelah untuk berpikir lebih, jadi dia menjawab. "Terima kasih, Nek. Aku akan beristirahat. Selamat malam."
Dari sisi ruangan, terlihat pintu kokoh yang terbuka, menampakkan sang pemilik kamar tengah berjalan santai sembari melepas kancing kemeja putih yang terlihat mahal dan juga rapi. Davin segera melempar kemeja putihnya di sofa, dan berbalik menuju ke ranjang membiarkan otot liat yang tidak berbenang miliknya terbuka. Tapi matanya mulai memicing mendapati ada seseorang yang menguasai ranjangnya.
Perlahan ia mendekat, menyaksikan rambut hitam panjang tampak terurai berantakan dari wanita yang masih tak sadarkan diri tersebut. Tubuhnya yang mungil dan sangat ramping, membuat garis leher bathrobe kebesaran yang ia kenakan tak mampu menutupi pundak dan juga dada bagian atas, dimana ada rona kemerahan di sela kulit putih nan mulus. Dan tentu saja Davin juga tahu, jika bathrobe yang perempuan itu kenakan adalah miliknya.
Tubuh Davin yang sedari tadi tidak nyaman karena rasa panas yang tiba-tiba hadir setelah makan malam, kini malah semakin menjadi, namun pikirannya masih waras dan dilingkupi rasa penasaran pada sosok yang terbaring di ranjang.
'Jadi kamu, hadiah ulang tahunku?'
Sophie sat in the bridal suite. The full-length mirror reflected an image she barely recognised—an elegant, poised woman clad in a stunning lace wedding gown that hugged her curves and flared out into a beautiful train. The dress, meticulously crafted, seemed to shimmer with each breath she took, and the delicate veil added an ethereal quality to her appearance. Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted her veil, but a reassuring smile from Vivienne steadied her nerves.Vivienne placed a comforting hand on Sophie’s shoulder, her eyes brimming with pride. “You look absolutely radiant. Today is your day, and you deserve every moment of happiness.”Sophie turned to face her, tears threatening to spill. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. Sometimes, it feels like a dream.”Eliana could not hide the pride she felt or the joy; her eyes were misty with emotion. “You’ve come such a long way, sweetheart. Your strength and resilience have brought you here, and we couldn’t be prouder
Rhys and Sophie stepped out of the building, a sense of accomplishment in the air. Sophie had faced her past head-on, and Rhys couldn’t help but feel proud of her. “You see, it wasn’t that hard, and you handled it quite well,” he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.Sophie glanced back at the building, her heart still racing. “Hey Rhys, would you mind waiting a minute? I need to see my mom before she leaves.”Rhys nodded, his eyes softening. “Of course. Take your time.”Sophie spotted Veronica walking out and hurried towards her, with Rhys following at a slower pace. The sight of her mother, the woman she had yearned to meet since she was a little girl, brought a flood of emotions. Veronica turned at the sound of Sophie’s voice, surprise and hope mingling in her eyes. “Sophie...” she exclaimed softly. For years, it had always been “Mrs. Veronica.” The simple word “mom” now seemed to hold a world of promise.Sophie took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say that I don’t hate you.
Five years later “Come on, Sophie, we’re going to be late.” Rhys called.“Be out there in a minute.” Sophie answered from inside.“Yeah, that’s what you always say." Rhys muttered under his breath; a light shuffle behind him caught his attention.“Sophie,” but he couldn’t get himself to finish the sentence; he wasn’t sure what he wanted to say or what the right words to use should be. You look beautiful, or you look stunning. No, those were not the right words to use.“Rhys, are you alright?” Sophie asked with concern written all over her face.“Yeah, sure, I’m fine,” Rhys stammered. “I just got something in my eyes.”“Let’s get going already; we are going to be late.” Sophie said that and moved away.Rhys sighed and followed her. Adrian died five years ago, and they had moved on. She moved on so smoothly that he wondered if maybe it wasn’t too fast. Still, he did not want to talk to her about it for fear that he was going to upset the balance that she had already found inside her.
“Adrian is dead.” Those three words sent a chill down Sophie’s spine, but they were not what made her pause or caused foreign emotions to creep up her chest, clawing at her heart. It was the look of freedom in her aunt’s eyes. The music in her voice as she announced the death of her husband. The bounce in her step as she approached them, arms wide, and a smile on her teary face. It was the fact that Eliana was happy about this and did not hide it that surprised Sophie. Her aunt’s body collided with hers, and Sophie sank into her embrace. The tears fell from her eyes, but just like her aunt, they were not tears of sorrow or mourning but tears of joy and celebration. For the first time in years, they both felt free, and they wanted the whole world to know. “I am sorry.” Eliana said it over and over again, pulling Sophie deeper into herself. If she could jump and touch the sky, she would. She felt as though she was on top of the world, as though a weight had been lifted off her sh
His eyes widened slowly, the shock registering on his face despite its brute condition. He coughed loudly, the effects of the cough racking through his entire body. He wheezed dryly after that, his lungs trying to suck in more air. Even though Sophie had been here a couple of times to see him, this
The breakfast could indeed be likened to a rollercoaster of a ride. It was just fun and laughter throughout the whole session. Everyone participated in the fun; even Sophie and Eliana laughed heartily as the group shared their stories, adventures, and escapades. During the course of the breakfast, c
The dishes for the appetisers were packed away, and Eliana served the main course. If Eliana was not known for other things, she was known for being a good cook. The main course arrived, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the air. The dish, a tender and juicy slow-cooked beef Wellington, was prese
She moved up the stairs gracefully, stealing a glance at the dining table setting downstairs as it slowly disappeared out of her view, and she could see the room housing the woman that was introduced to be her mother. She hesitantly moved closer to the door, unsure whether to knock or try the door k


















Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.