Ahmad Nurul Adibの小説

"Emma, you have to take good care of yourself from now on."Rex's warm lips landed gently on my forehead, conveying all the sincerity in his heart. Under the fading glow of the restaurant lobby lights, I slowly closed my eyes. I savored every second of the overwhelming sense of comfort flowing into my chest. However, that warmth didn’t last long. Rex pulled away, releasing his embrace gently, never trying to pressure or force his will upon me. He truly understood my situation and chose not to be selfish tonight.He turned on his heel and walked away to meet Dee, who had been waiting for him in another room all along. I stood frozen, staring at his back as it grew distant and finally vanished behind the glass door.A profound sense of loss suddenly overwhelmed me. My hands moved slowly to trace the surface of my now-swelling belly. I felt the tiny heartbeat within as tears began to well up in the corners of my eyes."Rex, if only you hadn't hidden such a big secret from me all this tim

“Emma, why did you suddenly go so quiet?”Rex’s baritone voice broke the silence in the dimly lit, secluded corner of the restaurant where we were sitting. He looked at me with an incredibly gentle gaze, which was a stark contrast to his stiff black tuxedo. Alex’s documents still lay on the marble table in front of us, as if demanding the attention that had been deliberately diverted. I turned my face toward the glow of the wall lamp, clasping my fingers tightly together on my lap to hide the inner tremors growing stronger."I don't want to open or read any documents tonight, Rex. I’m too tired to think,” I said softly, letting out a long sigh. The weight on my chest was already too heavy to bear.Rex fell silent for a moment. A faint trace of disappointment flashed across his stern face. The next second, however, that expression was replaced by an incredibly gentle gaze the kind that always made me feel completely exposed."All right, if you're set on divorcing me, I won't stand in y

Dee stood up from the sofa, tucked a strand of hair that had fallen across her temple behind her ear, and gave me a mysterious smile. "I'm doing this just to make sure all the terms and penalty clauses in the marriage contract you signed earlier are properly settled, Emma. I don’t want you to face any legal consequences in the future because of your carelessness.”That evening, the atmosphere felt utterly foreign to me. I sat in Dee’s car, staring at my reflection in the dark window. An overwhelming sense of unease churned in my chest, especially because of the beautiful maroon silk dress draped over my body. Dee had forced me to wear it before we left earlier."Why do I have to wear such an over-the-top dress just to finalize the divorce settlement and contract?" I asked irritably, adjusting the neckline, which felt a bit too low.Dee, who was focused on driving, only glanced briefly in my direction. She offered a faint smile but didn't give a definite answer. The car continued down

"The point is, Dee, I don't want to hear any more excuses!"My voice trembled sharply, shattering the silence that had hung over the living room since that afternoon. I quickly turned away and looked out the window, then crossed my arms over my chest. I deliberately pretended to gasp for breath to hide the anxiety slowly gnawing at the corners of my heart. I didn’t want to appear weak in front of the woman who was now watching me intently.Dee, still sitting calmly on the long sofa, looked straight at me. A faint smile one that seemed calm and professional appeared on her lips, irritating me further."Why are you constantly in denial, Emma? You’re actually scared right now, aren’t you?” Dee asked in a soft yet piercing voice.I snorted sharply and took a step back until my heel touched the edge of the rug. "Dee, I know you're a great psychologist. But please, I don’t want to and I’ll never let you draw me into your little tricks! Stop reading my mind as if I were one of your patients!

"I’ve told this stubborn woman over and over again, Lau. But it’s exhausting talking to someone who’s closed her eyes and ears to the truth!" Dee snorted sharply and placed the apple on the table in front of me. Then she sank onto the long sofa.I could only stare blankly at the apple, remaining silent. Dee leaned forward and looked straight into my eyes. Her expression had turned extremely serious and cold.“Are you absolutely sure about your decision to divorce Rex, Emma? Do you want to raise your child alone, without a father figure by her side? Don’t be such a selfish woman, only thinking of your own heartache and not caring about your child’s future!” Her tone pierced straight to the core of my consciousness.I clenched my fists in my lap. "I'm not being selfish, Dee! I’m just...”"Think about your stepdaughter, Isla!" Dee cut me off quickly without giving me a chance to defend myself. "That little girl hasn't seemed well at all lately. She’s suffering psychologically from a seve

"What's wrong with me? I clearly don’t love Rex. Why can't I stop thinking about his face and voice?!"Those words slipped out of my mouth and faded into the increasingly suffocating silence of the living room. My feet paced aimlessly across the thick shag carpet. The phone in my right hand was still glowing, displaying an active call screen that had been streaming sound from the other end for ten minutes. A bead of cold sweat began to trickle down the back of my neck, triggered by a sudden wave of panic that had spread, squeezing my chest tightly."Emma, you're still there, right? Please just listen to me first,” Laura said, breaking the silence through the phone’s speaker, which I’d deliberately turned on.I stopped in my tracks, massaging my temples, which had started to throb. I had an overwhelming urge to press the red button and ignore that voice entirely. I just wanted to run away from the reality I’d just learned. But my fingers suddenly went stiff, unable to move, as Laura’s