After returning from her future stepfather's apartment, Olive received a piece of advice that made her furrow her brow.
"Don't let there be any stains on your neck and around it, okay? Remember that."
Olive had initially wanted to protest, but Seira had already waved her hand, so Olive quickly got into her car, taking with her a paper bag of her mother's cooking. She planned to enjoy it with Thomas at home.
It turned out that her mother's warning was due to the dress she was wearing today, which exposed her neck and cleavage. Her chest looked just perfect, and the size was just right. No drama of having to adjust or mend any seams to make the dress fit perfectly.
And what amazed her the most was her hair. The ombre light grey, which gracefully touched her shoulders and the front of her chest, looked very bright. She had gotten her hair done a day before the party. Thomas hadn't blinked an eye when he saw the result.
One word was all Olive needed to
"Ew, don't!" Riana cautioned. "You should stand your ground, and besides, use Andre as a shield.""Why Andre, though?" Yossie asked, confused."Of course. Make use of the guys over there. Besides, Andre is not bad looking, right? Quite handsome." Riana said while pointing toward the door, where the person they were talking about entered the room."Hello," Andre greeted with a wide grin. He was wearing a shiny navy suit that perfectly complemented the kebaya worn by Yossie and Riana. It was intentional; for the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the theme was navy this time.Meanwhile, Olive, in her sparkling broken white gown, stood next to Thomas in a slightly darker gray suit. Olive had seen the result of the photos they showed for their wedding video production. Usually, the photo results were even better than their fitting sessions before today."What's up, Ndre?" Riana asked with a big grin. She had a motive, and she wasn't just asking casually. "Hey,
Seira's mind was in turmoil. Her thoughts drifted back to herself over a dozen years ago when she stood next to a man, holding hands with their daughter. With a joyful expression, she saw off the man who was her husband back then. Complete with many prayers, including affectionate words, "I'll be waiting for you to come home. Don't forget to drop me a line from home.""You just stay calm," the man said. Nothing more, not even a loving kiss for their daughter. Maybe he was too busy or in too much of a hurry, but the man who was the father of their daughter left just like that. Seira didn't have any thoughts or bad premonitions clouding her life back then.When the news reached her, exactly two hours after the flight took off, she felt her world shatter. Her heart was in turmoil, but... she didn't expect another surprise. A harsh one. It made her feel like death was a suitable gift for those two traitors.She went through one drama after another, and finally, Seir
Seira's eyes opened, where Robert's eyes had been watching her for a while."You women in my life now.""Thank you," Seira said softly. Her words were accompanied by a long kiss on her forehead. Seira felt that it was far different from what Robert usually did. More intimate, filled with greater love, and convinced her that Robert's words were not a game.The man was sincere."So... what's missing from our wedding preparations?"Seira smiled with a sense of relief. "Sofia hasn't given any updates, as far as I know, everything is going smoothly. The paperwork is fine, too. Since the decorations are not too extravagant, Sofia is actually happy because she can work quickly.""The venue yesterday was nice. What do you think?"Seira weighed it for a moment. "Not too flashy? With Olive and Thomas, their friends are very modern. Should we follow that style? Are you sure?"Robert burst into laughter. "Did you forget when we danced yest
Olive woke up as soon as her alarm went off for the first time. Usually, she'd wait for the third alarm before opening her eyes. Not this time. When it came to her honeymoon, she didn't want to be late. There was no such thing as oversleeping. Since yesterday, when she sat and stood more often to welcome a lot of guests, she had been whispering to Thomas.She'd say, "Make sure you don't stay up too late in the room, okay. We have to sleep early."Thomas just stared, well, because of what Olive just said. But for the sake of seeing Olive's smile, Thomas just obeyed. So, once their session was done, due to this wedding reception, Thomas couldn't chat much with the guests. He didn't care, whether you called it impatience or not, he just didn't want to upset Olive because she'd made her point quite threatening."Don't make me upset about sleep!"Remembering how Thomas was humble and big-hearted, Olive giggled. She immediately turned off the alarm, afraid of d
Oh, why did Olive have a husband like Thomas? She couldn't concentrate on checking again to make sure nothing was left behind at the hotel. It felt like she had spent the night there for no reason. Olive had really slept comfortably in her husband's embrace, doing nothing at all. But she couldn't refuse it because all this was arranged by Om Robert, her future stepfather.As her husband left the bathroom, Olive immediately approached him. "Bae, please tell me where we're going?" She also handed him the clothes she had prepared. She didn't care how handsome her husband was, even though he was only wearing a towel around his waist. If she wanted, she could enjoy the hotel bed for a little while. It wouldn't take long, right?But... no! Olive wasn't tempted. She mustn't be tempted until she got the most reasonable answer to her destination. Thomas, who felt followed wherever he went, could only laugh. Olive was so much like a child with an extremely high level of curiosit
There might be half of her coffee cup left, and just a few slices of her Red Velvet cake. However, there wasn't much conversation happening between the three of them."So... what's keeping you from talking to me, Pandu?" Seira finally asked. She pulled out a cigarette box, something she didn't indulge in as often these days. Having Robert around often kept her occupied and led her to neglect this habit she used to have. Even though they did spend time together occasionally, puffing on cigarettes."Just wanted to know how you're doing, Seira." Pandu smiled. Since he had confirmed the presence of the red-haired figure, who was now engrossed in selecting something at the far end of the fresh grocery aisle, he had been trying to initiate a conversation. While he did succeed in the end, it turned out to be quite a challenge to make Seira open up."You've already asked that, haven't you?" Seira lit her cigarette. She blew softly, letting the taste fill her mouth. The
Seira wiped away her tears. Her trembling hand held Olive's tiny arm. Olive's bewildered, confused, and uncomprehending eyes looked at her mother. Even though she asked questions, her mother responded with only a faint smile.The Disaster Victim Identification team had identified Tedy's body. It was something Seira could hardly believe. She hadn't forgotten how she'd seen her husband off. But what puzzled her was that two coffins arrived simultaneously with a family she didn't recognize. Their faces resembled those in the vicinity of her home.Her mother-in-law, who had been crying continuously, welcomed them with open arms."Who is it, Ma?" Seira still had questions.Rita seemed to avoid her gaze, but one of their groups approached. She looked to be about the same age as her mother-in-law."I'm Novi. Marrisa's mother."Seira observed carefully, also accepting the woman's handshake because she couldn't yet process what was happening.
Thomas slowly opened the window in his room. The view before him was absolutely breathtaking. It was as if God had created a place this beautiful with all its grandeur. The sea stretched out with its rolling waves, and the breeze was refreshingly cool. And most importantly for Thomas, it was peaceful.Maybe it was because it wasn't peak vacation season, but their resort had no other guests. None at all. Well, there were the staff and the guides who would take them around Sumba. As soon as they arrived, they were offered a welcome drink while being informed about the activities planned during their stay.Olive was the most enthusiastic one, but paradoxically, despite her excitement to explore, she ended up sleeping soundly as soon as they entered their room. It was as if she had just completed days of overtime. Thomas could only smile, puzzled by his wife's behavior.They had arrived in this little paradise around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, right when the sun wa