Part 6

A few hours ago...

Cesilia, still angry, was forced to sign a declaration letter allowing Alexander to remarry. Now she was faced with a bitter reality.

"As a brand ambassador for our product, you must follow all the rules we have set according to the agreed-upon contract. And one of them is to be willing to wear costumes according to the theme." A man pointed to a rack filled with various clothes.

Cesilia narrowed her eyes, observing the type of clothing displayed there.

"That? All of them?" She asked, unable to believe what she was seeing. "Those look like lingerie." Cesilia shook her head. It was impossible to wear such clothes for work. She couldn't imagine Alexander's reaction when he saw her body displayed on social media and magazines in revealing outfits.

"That's correct. You will wear them to promote lotion and soap. For skincare, you can choose costumes according to your preference," said the man, whom Cesilia recognized as her new superior's manager.

To add to her misery, the man showed her a copy of the contract that Widiya had signed.

"No, this is impossible. I've seen previous models never wear such revealing outfits?! Why me--"

The man raised his hand. "Accept it or cancel the contract with a penalty as stated in the agreement you signed."

Cesilia pressed her lips tightly. She could no longer find the right words to refute everything the man had said. Her chest rumbled as she noticed the numerous zeros in the penalty payment table if either party canceled the contract.

Not to mention all her assets combined with Alexander's wealth and selling all her organs, Cesilia wasn't confident she could afford the exorbitant penalty, which seemed more like a scam.

"Please think about it. Proceed or pay all the damages as stated there. My superior gives you until tomorrow night. And for the final decision, please meet my superior at this hotel."

Cesilia raised an eyebrow, accepting a business card handed to her by the man. She wondered why a hotel was chosen as the meeting place, considering the size of their office.

"I'm not sure about all of this," Cesilia thought to herself. She stared at the business card, even as she was on her way to the hospital. With one hope, that Alexander and Casandra hadn't married yet.

However, all of Cesilia's hopes turned into mere wishes. When she arrived at the hospital, Alexander had already legally married Casandra.

Words couldn't express the pain Cesilia felt right now, knowing that Alexander had remarried. Even worse, her husband had married legally.

Cesilia tightly closed her eyes. She never expected the pain to be this intense when she found out Alexander had two wives. Previously, she thought it would be okay if Casandra became Alexander's second wife.

But the reality was different. It was incredibly painful to see her husband remarry and jeopardize their contract.

"Lex, I need to talk," Cesilia murmured softly. Without glancing at Alexander, who was comforting his furious mother.

How could Meri not be angry? Cesilia had asked Alexander to marry Casandra, and now she suddenly wanted her son to divorce her. Of course, it was impossible because Casandra was a human being with a heart and feelings, not a puppet to be played with at will.

Moreover, Meri had hoped to have grandchildren from Casandra, a daughter-in-law who met her criteria all this time. Obedient and polite in speech. Which parent wouldn't be happy to have a daughter-in-law like Casandra? She was beautiful, too.

"Let's talk here! Mama wants to hear what you're talking about, especially when you mentioned Casandra's name earlier." Meri's eyes glared sharply at Cesilia, even though she was talking to her only son.

Alexander sighed heavily, glancing at Cesilia, who appeared displeased with his mother's request. And believe it or not, Alexander could now see a glimmer of hatred in Cesilia's eyes.

"No need to worry about me, Alexander. I am your wife, and of course, I must obey your mother's orders." Cesilia stepped forward and stood right in front of Alexander. "I will cancel the contract and forget about all my obsessions all these years."

Alexander and Meri looked at each other. They were both startled and couldn't believe everything Cesilia said. Cancel the contract? It was impossible!

"I know you don't believe what I'm saying. But I never forced anyone, and I will prove it directly. Tomorrow night, I will give you the contract cancellation letter, and you need to prepare the money to pay the penalty. After that, you must divorce Casandra in front of everyone because I refuse to have a mistress as a servant."

A smile appeared at the corners of Alexander's mouth upon hearing Cesilia's agreement. He was truly happy that Cesilia finally understood and was willing to keep the promise they made six years ago.

However, Alexander didn't show his happiness to his mother to ensure that everything would go as he desired. Furthermore, after expressing all her desires, Cesilia immediately left. She said she wanted to negotiate the penalty fee. Cesilia also instructed them to remove Casandra from the house and pay her a small amount of money before sending her back to her hometown.

"It's up to you whether you want to return to how things were or not. Mama doesn't care at all." Meri clenched the blanket tightly that covered her body. "...but don't send Casandra back. Let alone cancel all the promises you made to her, especially when there was hope when you wanted to finance her father's treatment. Alexander, I beg you. Let her stay with Mama, even if you divorce her. You can give Mama a share in the company to cover all the costs of Casandra's father's treatment and her siblings' education.

Don't contest all of that. Then Mama won't interfere with your marriage and Cesilia's affairs."

Alexander nodded, agreeing with his mother's wish to not further complicate the situation. He wanted to live peacefully with Cesilia as before and start a pregnancy program so that they could have a child.

Happiness? Don't ask how Alexander felt now. Cesilia would soon become a complete housewife, just as he had always dreamed of. Soon, there would be a child growing in Cesilia's womb. Alexander couldn't wait and joined Cesilia in handling all the contract cancellations.

This included finding a loan to pay the penalty so that Cesilia could truly be free from all obligations. The amount was substantial, draining all their savings and assets, but it didn't diminish Alexander's spirit. While Cesilia went to meet her superior, Alexander was also busy preparing all the documents for fund disbursement and selling the assets he owned. They had only ten days since the agreement was made.

As Alexander and Cesilia were ready to weave their dreams that had been delayed, Meri could only hold Casandra's hand, who was now accompanying her in the hospital. The two of them watched television and exchanged stories about many things. Without mentioning the impending divorce between Casandra and Alexander, which would take place shortly. Night was approaching, and Cesilia would soon be done with all her affairs.

Alexander had also arrived and sat on the sofa. He looked disheveled, arranging numerous papers on the table. From Alexander's current expression, Meri was sure that the amount he would pay was not insignificant.

***

Waiting. Alexander and Meri were still awake, even though the clock on the wall showed it was already two in the morning. They both couldn't wait for Cesilia's arrival, who supposedly would bring the contract cancellation letter.

Despite feeling sleepy, neither Alexander nor Meri could close their eyes like Casandra, who had already dozed off on the sofa. They were tired of waiting for Cesilia, who supposedly had surprising news.

"Cesilia," Alexander murmured, rushing to greet Cesilia. He also embraced the woman who had been his wife for six years.

"How is it, darling? Is it done? I've..."

"I'm sorry, Alexander. They agreed to my request. So I canceled the contract cancellation because they agreed to change all the points that I objected to." Cesilia brought her hand to touch Alexander's cheek. "Casandra is still here. Two years is not a long time. I hope you can be patient and wait for me."

"No!" Alexander brushed Cesilia's hand off his cheek. He fell to his knees and held Cesilia's hand. "Please, Cesilia. Cancel everything as you said this morning!"

"I can't cancel it when this new agreement can make me a famous model, Alexander! Moreover... my superior said this opportunity could make me an international model. So please, understand and be patient for these two years. You don't have to worry. I will still be your wife and fulfill my duties as usual. It's just that I will spend more time outside the house in the future. So please understand my position!"

Alexander's face lifted. "Understand, you say? Understand? After you said this morning that you wanted to cancel? Really?"

"I haven't met my superior, that's why I said that, Alexander." Cesilia shook her head. "Enough, don't prolong this issue. I want to start working right away. See you later at home."

Cesilia casually patted Alexander's shoulder. Like walking on a catwalk, Cesilia simply walked away, leaving Alexander with all the pain and disappointment that had merged into one.

"Is that the wife you're proud of? Pitiful!" Meri sneered, looking at Alexander, who was staring blankly at Cesilia. All the hopes that had emerged were shattered. They had nurtured happiness in their hearts, but it had all vanished. Cesilia had taken it away for the second time.