Security forces were forced to disperse the crowd and asked the warring parties to separate from each other even though they knew one of them was unconscious."I'm sorry about my twin." Matthew led Karin through the corridor to the stairs after receiving Maureen's bag from Serena who was watching them with Maureen's other friends.Every now and then she checked the ending of Maureen's fake nails which were not as long as usual. The scratches visible under the lamp on Karin's left cheek left a slight pain every time she touched it."I'm really okay. It can still be treated." Karin took Matthew's hand, filling the man's dense fingers with hers. "He's drunk anyway, right?"Karin can still tolerate it. Drunk people sometimes lose control and can over-express their feelings."I just didn't expect her to be subjugated to your brother," Matthew shook his head, still not expecting to have found the owner of his twin sister's ferocious leash.[Are they dating or have an arrangement?]"Ben's wi
In less than an hour on a highway still bustling with midnight routine, Darren was able to arrive at one of the private rooms in the club that could be accessed using his card payment.“Where's Maureen?” asked Darren, not finding the woman he was looking for, but the younger brother--Matthew and a girl he didn't recognize sitting next to each other in close, sweaty proximity.“Already left.” Matthew reflexively kept his distance from his partner.“With who?” Darren didn't care about the view in front of his eyes. He was annoyed to death at Maureen's unauthorized use of his property and vowed to make her pay if he ever met her.“Shit! The phone's off again!” Called numerous times as well, the number that displayed Maureen's name on Darren's cell phone continued to play the operator's auto-responder. He didn't even bother kicking the table in the middle of the room until the glasses shattered.“Maureen's bag is with me.”One of the mysteries in Darren's head solved, Matthew pulled out t
“Hi, where are you from?” asked Maureen, coming down the stairs slowly wrapped in the blanket Ben had given her. Every now and then she stopped walking and sat on the step.“Basement.” Ben closed the front door of his unit and got a better look at Maureen up close. “Do you need more clothes? Yours are still in the laundry.”He lifted the blanket from Maureen's body and noticed some new reddish lines on the surface of the woman's tawny skin. Maureen did not seem to want to bother buttoning a shirt that was damp and torn in several places.“Well, I guess. Your shirt is also uncomfortable to wear.” Maureen raised a hand, allowing her play partner to strip the rest of the fabric on her body without feeling uncomfortable.She was quite confident in the smoothness of her skin without the fine hair on the hidden parts from painful waxing. Her peak easily stiffened with each rub against Ben's warmth. Too bad his opponent wasn't in the least bit interested in enjoying himself.“One moment.” Be
Abandoned, Maureen sat close to the table in the middle of the room. She folded her hands on the surface and buried her face as deep as she could.Maureen had a hard time making choices when everything happened so fast. She had only just realized the ache all over her body, diverting her pain from the insults she had just received.She was originally willing to be cheap as long as she could snatch the man she liked, but now... Darren had come for her. What else could Maureen doubt?“What else do you want, Maureen?” Monologuing, there was no answer she could get. Her tears had not fallen since he left.There was more of a fear side to it as Maureen realized she was spending Darren's income on attention-seeking. She hated it, hated it so much when he chose to go home because of his wife's call. She hated that Darren had forgotten their time together by hiding behind the word family.“Feeling better?” Bottles of water filled the middle of the table. The occupant who arrived before Mauree
Iqlima was still awake in the early hours of the morning. She felt uneasy because Darren had yet to show up after promising to return quickly for the dinner.She thought the family dinner was limited to the children and grandchildren of her in-laws, but the awkwardness that occurred there confirmed that the dinner that was the main event was intended to bring certain circles closer together.This is not unusual, because Iqlima had experienced something similar when her parents had not yet gone bankrupt. She almost rejected Darren's offer of ta'aruf-personal introduce because of the arranged marriage.If only the bankrupt never existed, Iqlima would not be with a man from outside her circle of life. Darren was one of the variables that suddenly appeared in the business empire that was considered capable of raising the family's standard of living.But where was he now?Sitting on the sofa in the front room, facing the unlit foyer, Iqlima was haunted by anxiety. Perhaps it was her instin
Maureen's legs spread wide open on the edge of the table, letting her slit become an object for Darren's boneless moisture to savor. Her trousers dangled over the border of her still-attached shoes.That man had always been able to make her love juices flow with just a prick down there.Maureen's hands were propped up behind her body, letting her twin peaks show off the tension that was so tantalizing because the buttons of the shirt had escaped from their holes.“Ah, Uncle ....” Maureen closed her eyes, enjoying the waves of arousal that were increasingly drowning her. Another explosion breaks down the defenses, again, Maureen convulses as her opponent manages to bring her unparalleled pleasure.Darren squeezes Maureen's hindquarters, trailing his breath up the skin of his woman's belly, until it comes to the thing sticking out of Maureen's chest.“You cheat me...,” Maureen whimpers as she looks up, feeling every caress of the predator's tongue on her dark circles before scooping her
Maureen returned to the table behind cubicle, noticing the look on her face from the mirror in her powder box. No mess. Her waterproof makeup was still in place. The sweaty activity with the uncle had only ruined the hairdo which could be dealt with a simple hair tie at the back of the head."It's been a long time at Mr. Boss's place. Did you get angry again?" Mr. Wahyu had time to ask after creating content in between work breaks.Maureen only realized that she missed lunch because of Darren's fantastic act of proposing to her impromptu.[Can that be called a proposal?]She desperately wanted to laugh at the idea of getting married abroad. Legally human, legalizing God's prohibition. How was this any different from what Maureen had done in recent years?Lured by the abundance of wealth? Of course you can sell yourself too. Maureen was not that crazy to fulfill her life habit."Mr. leader, please gimme permission." Grabbing her handbag and laptop in a separate bag, Maureen left the cu
"Who did this to you?" The incoming message from the man Maureen was looking for was a relief to her.Maureen thought she would be ignored after rejecting Darren's request for marriage, especially since she chose to avoid him by blocking his number within a few hours.It turns out that sending photos of Iqlima's abuse can get Darren's attention very instantly. A few thin lines of scratches could be made clear using the right light and camera."Aunt Ima," Maureen replied."No way.""Whether you want to believe it or not," Maureen typed while her lips spoke to the phone screen in front of her, "What's impossible if you've been hit by the devil first?"Rolling over in her soft bed, Maureen savored every bit of pain Iqlima left on Maureen's face. Even her hair was not spared from the fury of the woman she called a lioness."I have an excuse to skip class tomorrow. Treatment first, or workout first?" Maureen prided herself on surviving the one-sided attack."Not fighting back?" Darren's re
An impromptu visit that I didn't expect, it turns out Angga told me our wedding date so Matthew and Ben came, of course with their spouses. Maybe they're on vacation?Then the arrival of Darren who followed alone with a line of food service workers was enough to confirm that they intended to hold a small party without the host's permission.I only saw him after changing into a looser floral overalls that allowed me to breathe. The dress was too tight although it still didn't cover my pregnancy at all."You weren't invited, but you came." The satire I said wasn't funny at all, but they still laughed when I returned to the center of the conversation with a bottle of champagne ready to open."Ow! How cruel, Sister." Matthew snatched the fun out of my hands and quipped back, "Alcohol is not for pregnant women.""Damn it!" I cursed in annoyance, only to be met with an instantly infectious laugh.Angga had just followed me to where I was standing. He handed me a glass of avocado juice and a
"Maureen!" I faintly heard Angga calling my name, then it was replaced by the echo of air bubbles in my ears.I thought I could die here or wake up somewhere else. In fact, when I gave up, a stream of water replaced the blast of air on my face.I was still very much conscious, just afraid to open my eyes and face reality. The chill of the early spring air washed over my already wet skin along with the pressure behind my shoulders and behind my knees. It was warm on the right side, but instinct demanded that I find a grip.Angga, who I first saw, was also wet. His slender neck becomes the target of my trembling grip. This time, I'm afraid of being dropped.From this vantage point, his parted lips along with the angular movement of his firm jaw create a charisma of their own. Could Angga possibly hide the cruelest side of a warrior like him?Fool. I should have remembered that everyone has a dark side, a poison from their own life experiences. They only need to choose; oppress or be opp
Maureen demanded an explanation, before we had even had a chance to change?She and I had just arrived in our room, barely stripped to the surface of the fabric that covered the entire bed. Dusty, full of sawdust and mustiness. We should have taken down all the protective covering before attempting to use the room.Yes, almost.Just being alone with her could heat up the temperature around us. It felt like breaking free from all the coverings and letting instinct take over.Then, Maureen's question threw everything off. "So..., did you make a deal with Grandpa?"I was still in front of her, on top of her body while supporting myself using the elbows perched on either side of Maureen, avoiding the pressure on her stomach. Our lower waists were already attached as our legs slipped over each other.Argh! She messed up the appetizer.The look of rejection forced me to roll over to Maureen's left side, following her to gaze at the room's ceiling covered with sheets of bright albasia wood. T
Deciding to get married was not on my life list at all, especially under the age of thirty. What's happening now?Just a few months ago I turned twenty-five and within minutes had signed the marriage certificate. Everything I've been through has been beyond expectations, pregnant and married?Still in my simple wedding dress-just a white lace-covered overalls that didn't hide the size of my belly at all, I noticed Angga's figure when dressed officially like now. A clean-cut face and freshly cut hair refresh Angga's look with a black suit overlaying the white suit inside.Even though it was only a few days ago that I saw his face full of bruises, the main reason I made the choice and said yes, so that he wouldn't have to do such menial work anymore.What was I thinking at the time?"Not like this again!" I shifted the conversation from Angga's request to the cause of the bruises on his face, again he said about marriage.Des he really want to tie me up in a commitment? So what, I can't
I was almost desperate as I repeatedly checked my phone screen, waiting to hear from Maureen's friends about her whereabouts in the last two days. Maureen was unreachable, her phone dead.I don't know how many cans of beer I've consumed since returning home from last night's brutal game. I could have killed someone out of disappointment with myself. I felt like a failure.The phone screen lit up, but it wasn't someone I wanted to call. Maureen's sugardaddy was listed there. I deliberately gave him a name like that, so he'd think twice when he needed help. I still couldn't make peace with the past between them.Just glancing at the message display outside, without opening the messaging app, it was clear that each word indicated the address. No pleasantries or greetings.That's funny. He asked me to come there?A few minutes after putting the empty cans into the trash bag, an incoming call echoing the voice of a prominent rapper distracted me. Darren seemed genuinely intent on asking me
"Aren't you in college or doing something?" Uncle Darren was already babbling this early. Even the sky outside the window when he drew the curtains wasn't fully lit yet even though the alarm clock on the nightstand read seven o'clock. "Really, Rin, I'm confused to see you just lying in your room these days."A few days? I've only had a mattress this soft for two days. The sheets were soft and didn't rub against my skin. This time I can somewhat agree with Angga's previous insinuation about our ... well, lifestyle.The only choice is for me to give in and try to lower my standards, or for him to raise his income. Fix, yeah, I don't want to get married yet.In the last month of living together, I can't keep giving in to the future that Angga offers even though everything can be distracted with sex or Netflix and ignore everything.But, how to talk about it? Our fights would only continue to end with unification. I hated that."Why did you wake me up, Uncle?" I squirmed and kicked off th
"Uncle ...." I moan, feeling the ludicrous touch that traverses the skin. It descends from the arrangement of bones that make up my shoulders, collarbone, and then cupping the wedge of the neck divider of the body-wrapping overalls.From where he stood, Uncle Darren must have clearly seen the puffs that were getting denser as a result of his actions. I reflexively tilted my head to the right side, letting his warm breath caress the recesses of my neck without being covered by hair."You're always delicious, Rin." Uncle Darren's whisper sounds lulling behind my earlobe. The mint-scented exhale and woody-herb traces were replaced by the wetness of a taste bud that was beginning to venture out.Some seconds were fun to savor, but the next, what I was doing was more like an escape to get recognized. It felt like being a traitor.The corners of my lips twitched, realizing Uncle Darren wasn't doing anything more than that. Even though I liked the way he treated me, I still couldn't deny tha
"Move on, Is." Angga was seen patting the woman's cheek. What is her name? Isma? I could hear Angga talking casually through the barrier like that. "Anyway, stop following me."I was close enough to hear their conversation. It was just a stack of boxes at the turn of the foyer facing the exit of the supermarket.At first I thought Angga was still asleep because all my voice messages and calls had gone unanswered. Well, I should have sent a short message about going shopping before going home and asked Angga to ignore my request.Turns out he was in this place and met a 'flower snake' like that Isma. She really used to be a campus slut, right?Angga just told me about his habit of fighting in the arena just to buy time with Isma in the past. No wonder Angga didn't complain about getting a woman like her to support him.Well, I guess any man in Indonesia would always think of ways to get a virgin, but he chose the hardest way by capitalizing on feelings. Including me.Are there still peo
"Raka!" Isma waved from where she was pushing the shopping trolley towards me.Even though this monthly shopping business is usually the part of Maureen who understands best, but this morning when I woke up, there was already a note stuck to the refrigerator door. Correction, noon. I even got home early in the morning after last night's battle."Please, you do the shopping," accompanied by a heartfelt emot, a very long shopping list with special notes, and her black card. Including an incoming message on my phone explaining why Maureen was in such a hurry. Company research."Shopping too?" asked Isma after aligning the trolley she was pushing with mine. She even took the note I was holding and nodded, as if she understood.Why did we have to meet here, anyway? I'm even more uncomfortable with Isma around."Feeling better?" She still asked after returning the shopping list along with a few things taken from the shelves in the left row to my cart."When was the fight?" I arranged each i