Bukan Menantu Biasa

An Abandoned Warehouse in the Countryside

The entire warehouse was swallowed by darkness. Thick. Heavy. Suffocating.

At the very center of it, a young lady sat tied to a chair. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back. Her legs were tied together. A strip of Scotch tape sealed her mouth shut.

Her eyes fluttered desperately, trying to adjust, trying to see through the darkness—but it was impossible. She attempted to scream, but the sound died against the tape.

What am I doing here? she asked herself silently.

The last thing she could remember was resting peacefully in her house.

So what was this place?

Just then, the warehouse door creaked open.

A sharp flood of sunlight sliced through the darkness, forcing her to squint. The brightness made it impossible to see clearly who had entered.

But from the silhouette cast against the light, she could tell—

It was a woman.

The woman walked in slowly and stopped beside her. As she stepped further inside and blocked the sunlight, the brightness faded. The tied lady could finally see clearly.

She lifted her head.

And what she saw shocked her.

“Mmmm… mmmm…!” she struggled against the tape, anger blazing in her eyes.

“Surprise… little sis.”

The voice was familiar.

“Oh, sorry. You can’t speak. Let me help you.”

With sudden force, the woman ripped the Scotch tape from her mouth.

“Ahh!” she cried out, wincing from the sting. She rubbed her mouth gently before lifting her face again.

“Lily… you!”

A bright smile spread across Lily’s face. But that smile only fueled the fury burning in her sister’s eyes.

“Surprise, little sis,” Lily repeated sweetly.

“Lily, what am I doing here? In fact, what is going on?” she asked, confusion written all over her face.

“Ivy Jones… are you seriously asking me what’s going on?” Lily replied coldly.

“Yes, I am asking you! Why would my elder sister tie me up in a place like this? We’re not kids to be playing hide and seek!” Ivy snapped, fury evident in her voice.

“Well, little sis, don’t blame me. Blame yourself for always wanting what I want.” Lily said as she grabbed Ivy’s jaw roughly.

Ivy jerked her face away. “What do you mean I like taking what belongs to you?”

“Don’t you dare act dumb with me,” Lily hissed. “In the past, it was just Dad and me. I had all his time. All his attention. And then what happened? He married your seductress of a mother—and then you were born.”

Her voice trembled with anger.

“And ever since then, I had to share my father’s affection and time with you.”

She paused, then scoffed.

“Did I say share? Scratch that.”

“Ever since you were born, you stole my father’s love from me.”

“Lily, you know that’s not true. Dad loves you just as much as he loves me. And you know that.”

“Did you just say Dad loves me?” Lily laughed bitterly. “What do you call what happened on your eighteenth birthday? And what happened on mine?”

She leaned closer.

“Let me refresh your memory.”

“I asked for a Porsche 911 for my birthday. And what did he give me? A Range Rover SV.”

“But Lily, you know Dad said he didn’t have money back then—”

“Oh really?” Lily cut her off sharply. “Then enlighten me. What did he gift you on your birthday?”

“You told him you wanted a Lamborghini, right?”

“Yes. But he didn’t gift me that, and you know it.”

“You’re right. He didn’t give you a Lamborghini. He gave you the car I wanted—Porsche 911, Ivy.”

“But I rejected the car! And he gave it to you.”

“Yes. He gave me the car I wanted because you rejected it. And what did he do next? He went out the very next day and bought you a Lamborghini.”

Her voice rose.

“And you sit there and tell me you didn’t steal my father from me?”

“Sis, trust me, I didn’t. I would never do that to you,” Ivy said desperately.

“Well, too bad. Because you did. Maybe knowingly. Maybe unknowingly. But you stole him.”

“But Lily, that’s not enough reason to kidnap me on the eve of my wedding.”

Lily’s eyes darkened.

“You see why I call you ungrateful? All you think about is your wedding. What about me?”

She stepped back.

“Well, forget about that. Because it’s not happening.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dear little sis… you can’t marry Jonathan Morel.”

“What?! Why?”

“I never complained when your mother stole my dad from me. And then she died, leaving me stuck with you. But Jonathan Morel…” her voice turned possessive, “…he is mine.”

“And I am the one getting married to him.”

“If you liked him this much, why didn’t you say something? I would have left him for you!”

“Oh, wow sweet,” Lily mocked.

“So you’re telling me I should have informed my younger sister that the man who came to marry me saw her and suddenly changed his mind—that I wanted him?”

“You’re crazy.”

“Tomorrow was supposed to be my wedding. But no—you just had to show up and steal him.”

“You know that’s not what happened.”

“Really? Then tell me what happened. How did you become the one marrying my fiancé?”

“I told you about the guy I was dating online…”

“You were the one who warned me! You said dating online was dangerous—that he could be fake, or an AI. You told me to ask him to meet me first. And I did. He refused.”

“I even offered to pay for his transport if money was the problem. He still said no. I got scared. I listened to you. I broke up with him.”

“And three years later, you came home with him, introducing him to Dad as your fiancé. How do you think I felt?”

“Seeing my elder sister with my first love?”

“And how are you sure it was him?” Lily challenged.

“Back when we were dating we used to exchanged photos. I was scared because I had feelings for him. I even offered to visit him, but he refused. That’s why I ended it.”

“And then the day I saw him at home… all the feelings I thought were gone came rushing back.”

“And you didn’t waste time seducing him,” Lily snapped. “Just like your dead mother seduced my father.”

Her voice hardened.

“But I’m not like my mother. I won’t let you steal what’s mine.”

“What do you mean, sis?”

“When I met Jonathan two years ago, he was single. I befriended him. I liked him. I dated him. I loved him.”

“And just when we were about to get married—you appeared.”

“You didn’t even say no. You didn’t say, ‘That’s my sister’s fiancé.’ You accepted immediately when he said he wanted you.”

“I didn’t cheat on him. He didn’t cheat on me. And I’m sure you didn’t cheat either.”

Her eyes burned with determination.

“So why should I let you marry my fiancé?”