Completed-----She felt good—better than Zander Stanton remembered, and he had a damn good memory when it came to this woman. But his hatred was more pronounced than the little voice in his head telling him to give her what she wanted—his love. But Elvie had never been the one for Zander. He loathed her. He hated her family for arranging a marriage he never wanted. Yet she had no choice, and a day hadn’t gone by when she hadn’t replayed memories of the man who’d captured her heart without trying. Here she was, just as stupid as she remembered. "I—I'll take a shower, and I'll be b-back." She muttered and left his room immediately. This was her goodbye; tonight, Zander would be hers. And she would set him free forever. Five years later, with amnesia and a missing four-year-old daughter, could fate play her again, or was she willing to quench his desperate thirst for her love?
View More“Selamat ya, Mas. Akhirnya kamu mendapatkan pendamping baru. Kamu sudah bebas sekarang, tidak perlu lagi mengurus aku yang berpenyakitan.”
Deg!Jantungku seperti berhenti berdetak mendengar suara Nilam. Darimana dia tahu kalau aku sudah menikah lagi?“Sa-sayang. Apa maksudmu? Mas tidak mengerti.” Aku langsung menutup pintu kamar pengantin dan mengunci dari dalam, jangan sampai ada yang tiba-tiba masuk.“Jangan lupa ambil barang-barangmu di rumah. Aku tidak mau ada satupun barangmu yang tertinggal.”“Nil-”Tut ....Sambungan telepon langsung terputus sebelum aku selesai bicara.“Argh!”Kenapa Nilam bisa tahu soal pernikahan ini? Orang tuaku saja tidak tahu.Dia pasti akan menerima setelah kujelaskan. Aku tidak ingin kehilangannya, aku sangat mencintai Nilam.Kusambar kunci mobil tanpa memperdulikan mereka yang meneriaki ku. Saat ini aku hanya ingin mendatangi Nilam, takut jika dia berbuat hal konyol.Mobil milik Nilam masih terparkir di pekarangan rumah. Aku langsung turun, berlari menuju pintu masuk.Keningku mengernyit saat aku tidak bisa membuka pintu, menempelkan ibu jari bahkan memasukkan pin tidak membuat pintu rumah langsung terbuka.Dia menggantinya?Kriet!Pintu terbuka sebelum aku menekan bell. Nilam mendorong keluar dua koper besar dan bisa kupastikan itu adalah barang-barangku.“Kurang baik apa aku ini. Sudah kukemasi semua barang-barangmu agar kau tidak perlu berlama-lama di sini.”“Sayang ....”“Kenapa masih berdiri di situ? Pergilah. Pengantinmu pasti menunggu.”Suara Nilam terdengar begitu santai, tapi aku bisa melihat luka dari sorot matanya.“Sayang. Mas minta maaf.” Aku berniat meraih tangannya namun dia malah mundur seolah tak ingin kusentuh.“Maafmu kuterima tapi kehadiranmu tidak akan lagi kudamba. Semoga saja istri barumu bisa mendampingi saat kau melarat nanti. Dan jangan harap dia bisa sepertiku.”“Kenapa kamu bicara begitu! Kamu itu istriku, jelas kamu harus ada disampingku dalam kondisi apapun. Kalau Mas melarat kamu juga yang susah nanti.” Tanganku mengepal mendengar perkataannya.Baru sekarang aku melihat Nilam bicara sekasar ini. Dia seperti mendoakan aku kembali miskin seperti dulu. Aku jelas tidak akan mau, tidak mudah bagiku ada di posisi sekarang. Butuh waktu panjang dan juga perjuangan, dia tidak tahu bagaimana jatuh bangunnya aku karena dia hanya ada di rumah.Nilam menyeringai, “Sebelum menikah denganmu aku bekerja, bisa memiliki penghasilan sendiri dan setelah berpisah denganmu tidak sulit bagiku menjalani kehidupan seperti dulu. Kalau kau mengira aku tak bisa tanpamu, kau salah besar, Mas. Aku bisa tanpamu, Mas. Ingat, aku ini istri yang sudah kau jatuhi talak tiga. Apa perlu aku ingatkan, betapa kejamnya dirimu yang meninggalkan aku yang sedang berjuang melawan penyakit malah kau berikan talak.”“Saat itu Mas dalam keadaan kalut, ada masalah besar di kantor dan kamu malah terus ingin ditemani.”Dia menganggukkan kepalanya, kulihat matanya sudah berembun dengan bibir bergetar seperti menahan tangis, “Dalam keadaan apapun talak yang kau ucap tidak bisa ditarik lagi jadi silahkan pergi. Nikmati hari-hari manis bersama pengantimu sebelum nanti kau harus menelan pahitnya empedu,” ujarnya lalu melangkah masuk dan menutup pintu.Aku tidak tahu jika Nilam sudah pulang dari rumah sakit bahkan yang membuatku kaget dia juga tahu soal aku yang sudah menikah dengan Laras.Memang salah jika aku menikah lagi? Aku akan adil pada Nilam dan juga Laras, karena Nilam yang berulang kali keguguran membuatku tidak tega melihatnya jika harus hamil dan berujung hal yang sama. Aku menikahi Laras juga agar bisa memiliki keturunan. Perusahaanku harus ada yang menjalankan, karena aku tidak akan selalu muda.Baru saja aku berniat menekan bell, ponsel langsung berdering.“Mas ... kamu dimana? Cepat kembali.” Suara Laras begitu mendayu dari ujung telepon membuatku tidak tega untuk menolak.Kuhela napas panjang sebelum meninggalkan rumah itu. Rumah yang kuberikan pada Nilma sebagai hadiah untuk hari jadi pernikahan kami yang ketujuh tahun lalu.***Pikiranku terganggu, bayangan wajah Nilam berkelebat di dalam benak. Hatiku berdenyut nyeri membayangkan dia menangis sendirian karena ulahku.Sengaja aku tidak memberitahu siapapun karena menghindari agar Nilam dan orang tuaku tidak marah. Tapi kenapa bisa Nilam sampai tahu. Jika Nilam tahu, sudah pasti orang tuaku juga akan tahu cepat atau lambat.Kuhempaskan bokongku di kursi yang ada di teras. Orang-orang sibuk membereskan bekas resepsi.“Laki-laki busuk sepertimu memang tidak pantas mendapatkan wanita sebaik Nilam.”Aku terperanjat mendengar suara itu dan sontak menoleh, mengerutkan kening, mengingat siapa wanita di depanku ini.“Hatiku teriris melihat sahabatku dikhianati begini.”“Dea ....” Aku baru mengingatnya, “kau yang memberitahu Nilam soal ini?”Dea melemparkan amplop coklat tepat di wajahku, “Aku kembalikan uangmu itu. Andai tahu dari awal kau yang menikah, aku tidak akan sudi menjadi MUA untuk jalang itu. Tanganku malah kotor nantinya.”“Jaga ucapanmu!” pekik Laras yang tiba-tiba ada di sampingku.“Jangan bangga hanya karena sudah merebut suami orang, menghancurkan kebahagiaan orang lain. Ingat doa orang yang terzalimi itu mudah sekali terkabul. Kalian siap-siap saja.” Dea berbicara sakras sebelum pergi begitu saja.“Ya ampun, ternyata Laras itu merebut suami orang?”“Baru bangganya lagi dia pamerkan ternyata hasil curian.”“Masih punya harga diri dia sampai membuat pesta pernikahan ini.”“Kasihan sekali istri pertamanya.”“Sebentar lagi juga mereka menderita. Pelakor itu berteman akrab dengan karma.”Beberapa orang yang ada disana langsung mencibir “Diam kalian!” bentak Laras, “kalian di sini aku bayar ya.”“Cih. Kami tidak sudi bekerja untuk pelakor sepertimu, lagi pula belum ada uang yang kami terima. Anggap saja itu sumbangan untukmu yang suka mencuri,” ujar salah seorang wanita paruh baya bertubuh tambun.“Iya, betul. Ayo, mending kita pergi saja.”“Mas. Mereka menghinaku.” Laras bergelayut manja di lenganku.Aku mengurut pelipis yang terasa berdenyut, baru saja satu hari dan hal-hal seperti ini malah bermunculan membuat kepalaku seperti akan pecah.“Tidak usah didengarkan. Ayo masuk.” Aku merangkul pundaknya masuk ke dalam mobil.Niatnya memang kami mau ke hotel yang sudah disiapkan. Selain karena ingin anak, jujur aku memang tertarik pada Laras sejak dia pertama kali bekerja di kantorku. Dia selalu berpenampilan menarik, membuatku sulit menjauhkan pandangan darinya.“Mas, bulan madu kita ke Swiss ya.”“Aku masih banyak pekerjaan. Dan-”“Mbak Nilam? Bisa tidak kamu jangan memikirkan dia kalau kita lagi berdua, Mas. Bikin kesel tahu.” Dia yang tadi bersandar mesra di pundakku langsung menjauh.“Iya, maaf.”“Aku maafin tapi belikan kalung ya. Aku bosan sama kalung ini.”Aku hanya mengangguk. Selama perjalanan menuju hotel hanya dia yang terus berceloteh, aku hanya menyahut sesekali karena masih merasa kalut dengan sikap Nilam.“Mas, ponsel kamu bunyi.”Aku terhenyak saat Laras menepuk pundakku. Segera kutepikan mobil dan menjawab telepon dari kakakku.“Kenapa, Mbak?”“Ke rumah sakit sekarang. Di rumah sakit dekat rumah,” ucap Mbak Dilla..“Siap-”Sambungan telepon diputus sepihak. Ingatanku langsung tertuju pada Nilam.“Turun, Ras.”“Loh, kenapa kamu minta aku turun di sini. Hotel masih jauh loh, Mas.”“Turun! Kamu pakai taksi, ini ada hal darurat.”“Hal apa yang lebih penting dari aku, Mas?” Dia sangat keras kepala.“Turun, Laras!” Nada suaraku meninggi membuatnya tersentak, “jangan membuatku marah.”“I need you to turn my maybe into a definitely." Zander crawled into Elvie’s bed at the end of that gruelling Monday in the office. “Yeah, right. What are you doing here? Thea will—” “Come on, can a man get some time alone with his wife?” Elvie rolled her eyes, but she didn’t kick him out, even though a small, vindictive part of her wanted to. Life was too short to deprive yourself of spending time with those you love—something I’d learned the hard way. She thought to herself. His body seemed to mould into her massive mattress. Somehow, he fit. If there was one thing she’d realised this year, it was that sometimes they belong in the last place they thought they’d ever be. “Wife, let’s turn maybe into definitely.” “How can I do that?” she put her thriller in her lap and let his arm loop around her waist, dragging her into the crook of his shoulder. His lips fluttered along her neck. “Stay at SBC, stay with me no matter how this sh*t turns out. I can’t make it without you.” “Make
They went home to his mansion. To his cock’s disappointment, he slept in the master bedroom alone because Thea was sick and Elvie slept in her room. But it was still better than sleeping in a million-star hotel or at the Stanton Towers, which he couldn’t even look at after he’d learned what he had about his father not being his real father. He wasn’t the one who’d cheated on him. Yet Zander was the one who’d taken most of Matheo’s wrath. In the morning, Elvie gave her brother a shake from what looked like sewer water, green puke, and misery and slid a bowl of cereal his way. It wasn’t even a brand. It was poured right out of a six-pound industrial box with a Costco logo. “Where is the chef?” “Vacation…half of the staff too.” Elvie smiled. “Cavities and diabetes. Breakfast of champions,” Zander muttered into the bowl as he took a spoonful. “My apologies. Our room service doesn’t work on Mondays. Butler is sick. No chef, yeah so, stick with me!” Elvie took a seat next to her dad a
Zander set the papers down, sitting on the edge of her desk and lacing his fingers nonchalantly. So Matheo had planned it all along. The old cow killed his parents. His meeting Elvie, his falling in love with her, giving up on the Davis family—every single thing And he’d walked right into his trap. Well, almost. He would pay! Dearly. Zander thought to himself. He didn’t make the mistake of asking Elvie if she’d known about it. Of course she hadn’t. Instead, he focused on how to deal with this shit. “We’ve both been set up,” he said. “And he—the bastard—killed my parents!” His voice shuddered with enough hatred to melt the antarctic. And though he had his doubts before, he disregarded his instinct and thought that Matheo wasn't capable of doing such nineious things. “He—will pay! I will make sure he—” "Zander." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he resisted the urge to pull her into him and bury his face in her hair. “I'm sorry." Elvie had this touch that made sh*t go away. Bad shi
The word “music” comes from the Muses, goddesses of the arts in Greek mythology.I never said it before, because I thought it was tacky, but you’re my goddess (especially your ass).—ZanderJohn Lennon started his music career as a choir boy.I never said it before, because it terrified me to admit it, but you’re my church (although I plan to be inside you way more than just on Sundays).—ZanderYour heart mimics the beat of the music you’re listening to.I didn’t know I even had one before you came along, and now I do, and it hurts like a motherfucker (thanks for that).—ZanderRemember in university? I stole your iPod before you stole my wallet. It was tucked inside my jacket before I even removed your panties. I wanted to know what you were listening to. (And I was sorely disappointed there were no Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake songs in sight, because it made not falling for you so much fucking harder.)—ZanderI tried to tell myself I broke up my contract with Kristal and her f
Her heart was that of a lonely hunter.Yes and everything hurts.Elvie had always thought she was doomed by not being able to fall in love, but once she did fall, she wished she hadn’t. Now it hurt when she breathed, when she walked the hallways at work, and each time in between, when she caught sight of the person with a sharp suit and even sharper tongue moving past her, firing orders at Bella or bantering with the rest of the newsroom staff.A few weeks had passed. Four weeks after he’d shown up at her doorstep with flowers and chocolate, Zander had invited everyone into the conference room and announced that he’d given up his position and would only be staying for another month.After he made that announcement, he’d shot her a look, searching her face. Whatever he found there made him ask her to stay after the meeting was over so they could talk about it.She’d wanted to badly, but she knew nothing had changed. Though he often talked to Thea and visited her when he wasn't busy, he
Kristal had been a no-show during those terrible days, but he still remembered the flowers and pastry the family had sent every morning, her mother checking in on him, and her grandmother calling him three times a day to make sure he ate, showered, and breathed. Bella turned around, reaching for the door handle. Zander kept his face blasé. “Good luck explaining it to everyone, sir. Because let me tell you something—the moment Elvie walked into the room and into your life again, she changed you. It wasn’t profound. It was even more gradual, but it was there. In the way you started smiling, the way you softened towards your employees—just a little—and started doing the right thing by yourself and Kristal. But standing here?” She shook her head. “I think that man just bailed on us, and it saddens me because I was looking forward to working with and befriending the new Zander.” Fuck! Bella closed the door behind her, and he looked to the glass wall, catching Elvie unpacking her lunch a
Elvie was about to round the corner and turn onto the street when a limo pulled up at the curb and the passenger door flung open. Her eyes widened, and she stopped in an instant. Her brother was no Liam Neeson, and if she was going to get kidnapped, she very much doubted she could be saved. She turned around to look at the person getting out of the vehicle. It was Kristal, dressed to impress in what looked like a cocktail gown. She seemed to be alone.“Can I help you?” Elvie cocked her head. She wanted to be strong, but she was tired, hungry, and annoyed. And pissed at herself—so pissed that she’d let herself get carried away with a man like Zander Stanton. She usually made smart choices. She was a salad girl, and he was a deep-fried chocolate lava cake.“Me? No, though I’m sure you’ll do it at some point once you get fired, divorced, and have to become a waitress to support your slutty ways.” She walked towards her on her high heels. The limo driver looked the other way, like he coul
On the way to work, Gerald told her in her earbuds that they’re spending the treasure that love cannot afford, and Elvie nodded, not only to the rhythm but to the sentiment. Her shoes were blood red, and she’d spent the ride dying their laces black with a Sharpie.She walked into the office, not knowing what to expect. The professional side was going to be evidently extra depressing. But last night, Zander and she showcased their hearts like they were on a window display when they touched—crawling into each other’s mouths and seeping into each other’s souls. Then she’d left, without a message or a phone call. It was not her most mature moment, but she was sure he needed time to think too.Elvie walked the hallway, ignoring the judgy looks and raised eyebrows people tried to pin her with. One of the secretaries passed her and winced. She didn’t say anything, but one look at her face told Elvie she was in for an unpleasant surprise. What the hell was wrong with these people? Why on eart
Her legs were up before she knew it, carrying her to the exit. No explanation. No apologies. Elvie felt his grave steps thumping in her hollow chest as he followed her out. It was raining outside—the kind of dirty, humid rain to break the pulses of summer heat. It reminded her of the day they’d met at the university, of the carnal desperation that ate at her back then, and of the fact that she was still alone.Elvie felt his hand on my shoulder as he swivelled her around sharply. He jerked her into his arms.I didn’t want him to let go.I didn’t want him to keep me there, either. She thought.“I wish I’d never met you.” My fists pounded his chest, and he took it. Maybe because he knew he deserved it. His mouth pressed against my cheek felt like a rusty, hot blade. The world felt like it was ending, even though I knew it couldn’t be.The vane of his breath sliced through my ear. “I wish that, too.”That night, the sex was different.Slow, intense, and angry. Every thrust was a punishme
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