Foto Karma Akabane

Aku mati, tapi tidak mati total. Aku tidak tau bagaimana keadaanku sekarang, aku tidak perlu makan, ataupun tidur. Aku sadar, tapi tidak bisa menggerakkan tubuhku. Sekelilingku gelap gulita, tidak ada yang bisa kuajak bicara. Aku hampir gila! Aku tidak tau keadaan seperti ini berlangsung berapa lama. Ketika aku kira keadaan bakal terus begini, tiba-tiba terdengar suara ketukan.

Sejak hamil, suamiku tidak mau menyentuhku lagi. Sementara itu, hasrat dalam diriku makin besar. Setiap malam, pikiranku menjadi liar. Sampai suatu saat, seorang pria bertopeng menyelinap masuk ke rumahku.

Ketika sahabatku mulai mengalami masalah rambut rontok parah, dia mendengar kabar bahwa mencuci rambut dengan ASI bisa mengaktifkan folikel rambut. Oleh karena itu, dia memintaku untuk meminjamkan ASI. Aku merasa hal itu sangat menjijikkan dan dengan alasan bahwa ASI-ku hanya cukup untuk anak perempuanku, aku menolaknya. Temanku tidak menyerah, dia akhirnya membeli ASI dari internet dengan harga tinggi. Sayangnya, ASI yang dia dapatkan mengandung virus dan dia terinfeksi sifilis. Alih-alih menerima akibat dari tindakannya sendiri, dia malah menyalahkan anak perempuanku. Pada suatu malam, dia diam-diam masuk ke rumahku dan menggunakan rambutnya sendiri untuk mencekik anakku hingga tewas. Setelah mengetahui kebenarannya, aku benar-benar kehilangan kendali. Aku mencabut semua rambut di kepalanya dan kemudian membunuhnya dengan sebilah pisau dapur. Namun, saat aku membuka mata, aku mendapati diriku kembali ke hari ketika dia pertama kali meminta meminjam ASI dariku.

Even after being married for three years, my husband treats me like a stranger. When I throw up blood from pregnancy complications, he's in the prayer room chanting for his foster sister, Yvie Springton. He accuses me of being dramatic. If Yvie so much as gets a headache, he drops everything and flies overseas to be by her side. When his parents are in critical condition after a car crash, I beg him to go see them one last time. But what does he do? He claims I'm cursing Yvie. When I go into early labor and cling to life after giving birth to our son, he posts a photo of his international boarding pass on social media. At his parents' funeral, he returns to the country with Yvie and demands I leave the marriage with nothing. The day our divorce finalizes, he holds a wedding ceremony with her. I bury his parents alone. Then, at an exclusive auction, dead set on winning the famous painting for Yvie, he offered a staggering price. Even his accounts are frozen. That's when he finally realizes he's been disowned by the Springton family. His eyes are bloodshot, and he's furious as he demands answers. I simply gesture for my lawyer to step forward. He says, "Mr. Springton, take a look at this will."

Karena permintaan istrinya yang sedang sakit keras Abraham Wijaya, terpaksa meminta pembantunya menjadi istri kedua. "Tolong menikahlah dengan saya, Jihan agar Mikhaela bisa tenang di saat-saat terakhirnya. Apa pun yang kau minta akan kupenuhi. Setelah dia pergi, kau bebas melakukan apa saja!" ratap Abraham. Awalnya Jihan menolak. Namun, dia ingin balas Budi pada sang majikan dan menikah dengan kesepakatan yang mereka buat. Namun, Abraham mulai berubah setelah istri keduanya hamil. Membuat api cemburu pada istri pertama, sehingga Mikhaela meminta Jihan pergi dari kehidupan mereka selamanya. Lantas, akankah Jihan pergi dengan keadaan hamil? Atau tetap bertahan. Karena, susah mencintai sang suami?

Five years ago, when my boyfriend's small company was on the brink of bankruptcy I stepped in to save him, quietly supporting him from the shadows. Without revealing my identity, I became the company’s largest shareholder. Five years later, the night before his company was set to go public, he held me in his arms and said, "Emma, after the company goes public tomorrow, don’t leave. I have a surprise for you." At that moment, I was swept away by the idea of his "surprise," my mind racing with the hopeful thought that he might propose. I didn’t notice the cold glint of malice lurking in his eyes. The next day, as his company went public, he slapped me across the face and sneered, "Do you even see what kind of person you are? Did you really think someone like you could marry me?" He grabbed me by the hair and dragged both me and my best friend in front of a crowd of thugs and beggars he’d gathered. “These worthless cast-offs aren’t good enough for me anymore. Consider them my gift to you. Do whatever you like with them!”

The day my boyfriend got back together with his first love was the day I boarded the flight to Imperia. "Queenie was just a fling," said my boyfriend. "I'll never see her again. We'll be together forever." His friends were worried about my ruining his heartfelt confession, but I would not. Not this time. Before I went to Imperia, I promised my mentor I would join medical research, and I was half a month away from total communication cutoff. I would have to stay around for ten years for the research. I would not be allowed to contact anyone in the meantime. And thus, my ties to my soon-to-be ex were broken.

Aku meninggal pada hari pernikahanku dengan Bradley. Karena aku tak kunjung tiba, dia marah besar dan menikahi Michelle, sahabat masa kecilnya. Di depan semua orang, dia menyatakan dengan lantang, "Beatrice berselingkuh sebelum menikah dan telah mengundurkan diri dari pertunangan!" Ibuku hancur oleh fitnah itu. Dia mengalami serangan jantung di tempat dan meninggal dunia. Namun dia lupa bahwa demi membela Michelle, dialah yang melukai lenganku dengan pisau dan mengurungku di ruang bawah tanah selama sepuluh hari sepuluh malam. Aku memohon dengan segala cara, tetapi yang kudapat darinya hanyalah kata-kata dingin. "Tetaplah di sini beberapa hari, rasakan sendiri penderitaan yang kamu timbulkan pada Michelle! Sekalian hancurkan niat jahatmu!" Namun, ketika dia akhirnya menemukan jasadku yang telah membusuk dan dimakan belatung, dia menjadi gila.

No one knew that I was the Thorn pack’s head Alpha’s soulmate. He and Carol, who had been best friends since they were kids, were very close. Everyone in the pack thought they were soulmates while I was just a mistress threatening their bond. To protect Carol’s reputation, Barnett lied to the pack, claiming Carol was carrying his pup. This made our child illegitimate. When I confronted him in pain, demanding why, he explained, “Carol is known for her gentle and quiet nature. If our packmates knew she was pregnant without a mate, they would shame her. She's too fragile to go through all this.” For the first time, I looked at the man I thought was my mate and questioned if the Moon Goddess had made a mistake. Later on, while Barnett was away gathering herbs for Carol, the elders forced me to terminate my pregnancy, branding our pup as a disgrace to the Thorn pack. By the time Barnett returned, our pup was gone, and so was I.

Mein Freund Tom versprach mir, an meinem 20. Geburtstag eine prächtige Paarungszeremonie für mich auszurichten. Doch auf meiner Geburtstagsfeier machte Tom stattdessen Lily, meiner Stiefschwester, feierlich einen Antrag zur Gefährtenbindung. Während alle jubelten und gratulierten, stand ich da wie eine Närrin. Allein gelassen, voller Verzweiflung. Der Schmerz der Zurückweisung überwältigte mich. Da trat Sam vor, der Alpha-Erbe des Obsidian-Stammes, und verkündete allen, er habe sich schon lange in mich verguckt und wolle mich als Gefährtin erwählen. Ob ich einwillige? Ich willigte ein. Fünf Jahre lang verwöhnte er mich, behandelte mich zärtlich und prägte sich jede meiner Vorlieben ein. Doch dann hörte ich zufällig ein Gespräch zwischen ihm und seinem Beta. Mein Glückstraum zerbrach. „Sam, Lily ist jetzt die Luna des Weißrosen-Rudels, genau wie sie es wollte. Willst du diese Scharade mit Any wirklich fortsetzen?“ „Da ich Lily nicht haben kann, ist es mir egal, wer an meiner Seite ist. Zudem verhindere ich so, dass Any Lilys Glück zerstören kann.“ In Sams Tresor im Arbeitszimmer hütete er alle Geschenke von Lily wie Kostbarkeiten: handgefertigte Wolfszahn-Anhänger, Briefpapier mit ihrem Pfotenabdruck. Sogar auf seiner wertvollen Goldschuppen-Rüstung war jede Schuppe mit Lilys Namen graviert. „Lily, meine große Liebe. Meine Klauen werden für dich jeden Dorn zerreißen und dir das Glück erkämpfen, das du dir wünschst.“ „Wenn du mich brauchst, gebe ich dir gern mein schlagendes Wolfsherz aus meiner Brust!“ „Selbst wenn ich es rauben muss – ich hole dir alles, was du willst!“ Fünf Jahre Glück waren nur eine Illusion. Als ich die Wahrheit erfuhr, löste sich alles in Luft auf. Ich stellte den Antrag, das Rudel zu verlassen. In zwei Tagen würde ich aus Sams Welt verschwinden, für immer, ohne dass sich unsere Wege jemals wieder kreuzen würden.