To get me to agree to a divorce, my husband lied and told me he had stomach cancer. I glanced at the medical report in my bag and said nothing. Instead, I broke down right then and there, sobbing like my heart was being ripped apart, absolutely refusing to divorce him. Because what he didn't know… was that he actually had cancer. Just not stomach cancer—liver cancer. And with his funeral coming up soon, if we divorced now, who would inherit all his assets? No way. I couldn't let this divorce happen!
View MoreRaras memacu mobilnya dengan kencang, dia bosan dengan semua penghianatan yang dilakukan Divo, tidak hanya sekali tunangannya itu menghianatinya, dia sudah memaafkan berulangkali, tapi untuk kali ini, sudah tidak bisa ditoleransi lagi, laki-laki itu menghamili sekretarisnya sendiri. Demi apapun, dia tidak akan menerima pria bejat itu kembali, inikah laki-laki yang dipilihkan ayahnya, yang bermartabat dan keturunan bangsawan.
Sejauh ini Raras bertahan, demi sebuah kehormatan keluarga, tidak sedikit pun dia memberi tahu orang tuanya tentang keboborokan Divo, orang tua mereka sangat dekat karena sudah kenal dari zaman SMA dulu, pertunangan sudah diikrarkan dan pernikahan tinggal menunggu hari.Sebuah kejutan di hari ulang tahunnya, seorang wanita yang mengaku sebagai sekretaris Divo, tengah hamil dan pemilik janin itu tak lain adalah Divo sendiri.Raras memukul stirnya, dia sangat marah, bukan karena cemburu atau pun bersedih, sedikit pun tak ada cinta di hatinya untuk pria itu, tapi apa yang dilakukan pria ini sangat mencoreng reputasinya, apa kata dunia, seorang wanita berdarah biru sepertinya gagal menikah gara-gara tunangannya mengahamili wanita lain.Raras melajukan mobilnya semakin kencang, tidak peduli dengan umpatan pengguna jalan yang lain, yang dia butuhkan pelampiasan kemarahannya, tebing yang tinggi dan rasa marah untuk bisa memanjatnya.Raras butuh pelampiasan, kalau tidak, dia bisa saja menghabisi pria itu. Mobil Raras semakin tak terkendali, jalan yang dilewatinya bukan lagi jalan raya yang besar, hanya jalan beraspal yang membelah persawahan, Raras tersenyum senang, tebing yang akan ditaklukkan sudah terlihat dari kejauhan, tidak sia sia dia mengikuti saran temannya untuk menemukan tempat ini.Tiba-tiba Raras tidak siap dengan tikungan di depannya, dia sama sekali belum menguasai medan. Mobilnya menghantam pengguna jalan yang melaju berlawanan arah, bunyi decit mobil seiring dengan jerit panik warga yang melihat, mereka berhamburan keluar dari sawah, mendekati pengguna motor yang sudah terpental jauh dari motornya.Seorang wanita memakai pakaian lusuh dan kotor penuh lumpur mendekati dua korban yang pingsan."Ya, Allah, ini Wisnu dan Bu Parmi," jerit seorang ibu-ibu histeris, yang lain berlari mencari bantuan, dua orang itu tak bergerak dengan bersimbah darah.Raras menelan ludahnya susah payah, dia seakan tuli ketika kaca mobilnya diketuk tak sabaran dari luar. Raras gemetar, bukan ini pelampiasannya, bukan dengan cara menghabisi nyawa orang lain."Keluar! atau kami akan membakar mobil ini," teriak salah seorang warga yang juga didukung oleh warga lain. Mobil Raras diguncang dengan kuat.Raras memakai kaca mata hitamnya, membuka pintu mobil berlahan, keluar dengan menundukkan wajah, seseorang memukul punggungnya sangat kuat, dia merasa sakit."Dasar orang kaya, membawa mobil seenaknya di kampung orang."Seorang ibu-ibu menjambak rambut Raras. Raras meyakini beberapa helai rambutnya tercabut dari kulitnya."Hentikan itu!"Seorang pria tua berkumis muncul dari balik kerumunan."Jangan main hakim sendiri! sekarang kita selamatkan dulu Wisnu dan Bu Parmi."Sang bapak memerintahkan beberapa orang untuk mengangkat dua tubuh itu ke mobil bak terbuka.Raras memucat, peluh dingin mengalir dari pelipisnya."Sa... saya akan bertanggung jawab, saya berjanji."Sebagian orang menanggapinya dengan sinis. Raras sekarang sangat takut, apakah setelah ini dia akan menghabiskan sisa hidupnya di penjara, bagaimana kalau kedua orang itu mati, apa yang akan dilakukannya jika dokter tidak bisa menyelamatkan dua nyawa itu.Raras tak pernah menduga nasibnya akan sesial ini. Dengan lesu, dia menaiki mobilnya yang di kawal beberapa warga di belakangnya.Sepanjang perjalanan, Raras tidak berhenti berdoa, agar dua nyawa itu bisa selamat, dia berjanji akan melakukan apa saja asalkan dia tidak masuk penjara.Raras mengusap keringat dinginnya, meraba lututnya yang gemetar, sesekali dia mendengar mobilnya dilempari dengan tanah.Raras benar-benar menyesali keputusannya untuk memanjat tebing hari ini, andaikan waktu bisa di ulang, dia akan memilih latihan Boxing sampai pingsan daripada menabrak orang yang tak bersalah."Kendalikan dirimu, Raras!" Raras mensugesti dirinya."Semua akan baik-baik saja... tak perlu dicemaskan... ya... semua akan baik...."Beberapa menit kemudian, mereka sampai di rumah sakit, kedua korban dibawa ke UGD supaya ditangani secara langsung. Raras berlari mengikuti perawat yang sudah menyediakan bangkar.Beberapa orang tidak diperbolehkan masuk, hanya Raras dan bapak berkumis yang diberikan izin, kondisi UGD cukup sesak, pihak rumah sakit tidak mau pasien lain malah terganggu."Maaf, siapa keluarga korban di sini?" Seorang gadis berbaju biru yang diperkirakan Raras adalah seorang staff administrasi."Saya." Raras mengacungkan tangan."Maaf, Mbak, ada yang harus diisi dulu.""Oke." Raras bergerak cepat dan sempat berpamitan kepada Pak Kumis yang tidak tau namanya.Raras menyandarkan tubuhnya, dia tidak berani melihat korbannya secara langsung, dia takut kemungkinan terburuk di dapatkannya.Pak kumis duduk di samping Raras."Kita sama-sama berdoa, semoga ke duanya selamat.""Iya, saya harap begitu." Raras mengusap wajahnya. Hidupnya ditentukan hari ini, dengan dua nyawa yang sedang tak sadarkan diri dan ditangani dokter dan perawat."Kamu dari mana, Nak?" Pak Kumis memecah kesunyian."Saya dari kota.""Kamu harus bertanggung jawab sampai akhir, kasihan mereka."Raras hanya mengangguk, apa lagi yang bisa dilakukannya selain itu sekarang.Once his death certificate had been issued, I called Ian’s mother again. She ought to have the chance to look upon him one last time. “Come to the hospital, so you can say your final farewells to Ian.” “Can’t make it. I’m really busy over here. Jane hasn’t been feeling well, so I’ve got to look after her—not to mention the child in her belly.” Calmly, I ended the call. I accompanied Ian’s body to the funeral parlor, where I sent his mother a photo. Only then did she come hurrying over, spooked and mortified. She made it just in time to see Ian’s body being pushed into the fire. At this sight, she collapsed to the floor, weeping inconsolably. I came over to stand impassively before her, quietly pronouncing the truth. “So many times I called you, and still you refused to take me seriously. His death is on you. You weren’t even there when he drew his last breath!” She looked up at me, her eyes filled with bewilderment, disbelief, and horror. “No… no, it’s not… not my fault…”
“Unlike you, they won’t be able to make a living for themselves… and Jane will have a child to raise, too!” Instantly, my temper ignited once again. I pried his fingers free, one at a time, while glaring coldly down at him. “I, too, have been with child.” He gazed up at me in surprise, and then delight. Next, his eyes moved down to my abdomen. “I… I’m going to become a father…?” he burbled, somewhat tongue-tied. I slapped him right across the face. “Isn’t there another woman somewhere who’s already providing you with a child? As for this one… it’s gone, now. Knowing that it would inherit the affliction of its father’s bloodline, I decided to spare it from this suffering.” His expression of shock slowly gave way to abject grief. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry, I had no idea…” He sank back down onto the hospital bed, appearing utterly devastated. Seeing his exaggerated reaction to these developments, his apparent shame and regret… all I felt was disgust. I pocketed his handphone a
I put the phone down in a corner until he was done with his ranting."Ian, I've given it a lot of thought… and I've changed my mind about this divorce! I'm going to stick with you until the bitter end! I don't care if I end up your widow! 'In sickness and in health, until death do we part!' I remember my vows to you! Ian… the truth is that you were hoping I'd decide to stay with you, weren't you? Doesn't this lift your spirits, my love?"I, for one, was absolutely thrilled by this turn of events!"By the way, I'll be out of town for some days. Best not to call me unless it's really important. Take care of yourself, go for regular check-ups and treatment… make sure you give the doctors your full cooperation, okay?"Yet another chance, for old times' sake. It was possible that these might turn out to be the last sincere words I'd ever say to him.I doubt he appreciated the gesture. Fuming, he ended the call on me, this time.When I returned from the care center, I found Ian in a tr
Such a brilliant plan. I really had to hand it to them. If not because I'd sensed something amiss right away, I might really have been robbed of everything, before being swept out the door like so much refuse. And then, in the wake of my departure, they'd be one big happy family, with kids to cuddle and money to spend. I laid a hand upon my belly, which still remained flat and even at present. I allowed a single, boiling-hot tear to slip free. Then I looked up at everyone, my face full of faux emotion. "Very well. Let's get divorced, Ian." As one, they all sighed with relief. The mood in the room brightened up considerably. I smiled too, seeing how happy everyone was. What a wonderful thing divorce was! For one thing, it freed up a man to get himself a younger woman instead. For another, it allowed a woman to make off with her share of everything. Of course, our marriage wouldn't be dissolved in the blink of an eye, just because I said so. There would still have to
"To hell with him! And, indeed, hell is what awaits the sort of man who abandons his own wife and family!"The conspirators exchanged looks amongst themselves, the displeasure evident upon their faces. And yet, as much as they'd like to get in a few choice words here, all they could really do was swallow it down and sulk. Meanwhile, I was having the time of my life! It was the perfect moment to add fuel to the fire. "Mom, are you aware that your son has late-stage cancer, and is standing right at death's door?" At these words, Ian's mother stiffened with a nasty jolt, and instantly began screeching in my direction: "What nonsense is this?! How dare you—" Ian rushed forward, and caught hold of her arm. She froze mid-sentence, and then her expression transformed dramatically as she began to wail in lamentation instead. "No matter what it is that's gone wrong, he can be cured! Modern medicine regularly makes miracles happen!" So it was true: They were both in on this scheme, to
I pretended not to notice his unease. Now was the time for decisive action. I straightened up and took him by the hand, as though to go call upon his mother this very instant. What mother could hold anything back when her son's health hung in the balance? His mother lived just nearby, in the next block. She'd lived alone there, ever since Ian's father passed away. During the early years, after I'd married into their family, I'd taken pity on her solitude, and invited her to move in with us. I'd also suggested to rent out her place, for a decent bit of income on the side. She'd responded unkindly to this, complaining to Ian that this was all just a scheme to make her into an unpaid servant, bound to this house, waiting hand-and-foot at my pleasure—and that I would meanwhile seize their family home for my own purposes. The point was that she refused to leave that house behind. After that, she hardly ever came by here anymore—unless I visited her in person, and made extravag
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