LOGIN"Tolong jangan lupa siapa di sini yang mandul, Mas. Aku rela berkorban dengan menerima vonis mandul itu demi melindungi harga dirimu. Bukan untuk menjadi istri pertama yang terzolimi!" *** Airin, wanita sederhana dengan hati yang besar. Pernikahannya dengan Damian, seorang dosen di universitas swasta yang karismatik, tampak harmonis dari luar. Sayangnya, lima tahun berlalu tanpa kehadiran seorang anak, menjadi awal retaknya rumah tangga mereka. Ketika vonis dokter memastikan Damian mandul, dunia pria itu runtuh. Namun, ia memilih jalan licik untuk menyelamatkan harga dirinya, yakni dengan meminta Airin berpura-pura mandul di hadapan keluarganya. Dengan penuh cinta dan kesabaran, Airin menerima permintaan itu, berharap dapat mempertahankan rumah tangga mereka. Namun, kebohongan itu malah menjadi neraka bagi Airin. Ibu mertuanya yang obsesif dengan garis keturunan tak ragu menyudutkan dan menghina Airin. Ia bahkan memberikan ultimatum yang menghancurkan hati Airin: ikhlas dimadu atau tinggalkan Damian. Ketika Damian menikahi Anita, wanita pilihan ibunya, Airin merasa dunianya runtuh. Tidak hanya harus menghadapi rasa terhina, ia juga mendapati istri kedua Damian mulai merancang strategi licik untuk mengusirnya dari rumah. Kesetiaan dan cinta yang selama ini ia pertahankan mulai terkikis oleh pengkhianatan. Di tengah badai itu, muncul Daniel, wali murid di taman kanak-kanak tempat Airin mengajar. Sosok pria yang penuh misteri ini membawa harapan baru dalam hidup Airin. Namun, Daniel menyimpan rahasia besar yang berpotensi menyeret Airin ke dalam bahaya yang lebih besar. Kehidupan pria itu ternyata jauh dari biasa, bahkan penuh ancaman. Airin kini dihadapkan pada dua pilihan besar: kembali pada Damian yang telah menyakitinya demi mempertahankan harga diri keluarga atau melangkah menuju kebahagiaan baru bersama Daniel yang penuh risiko.
View MoreHANNAH'S POV:
BEGINNINGS: "What's going on?" I asked quietly, pulling off my headphones as I walked into the living room. My parents and my younger sister, Janet, were seated on the white couches. Janet had this pleading look on her face as she stared at them. The second I stepped in, all three of them turned to look at me. My heart started pounding. My mother glanced at Janet, then back at me. Her expression was cold. "We're withdrawing you from school. Go freshen up. You're getting married to Elijah Martinez tonight." I frowned and confused. The words didn't make sense. "What? What are you talking about?" I looked back and forth between Janet, who had a strange, unreadable expression, and my parents. My father's jaw clenched. "Do you think this is a joke, Hannah? Our company is days away from bankruptcy. The Martinez family agreed to help us, but only on one condition. One of our daughters has to marry their son." The room felt like it was spinning. "I... I don't understand. Why me? Why now?" "Because Janet is too young," my mother said simply, as if that explained everything. "She's only eighteen. She's still a child with her whole life ahead of her. But you..." She paused, looking me up and down with barely concealed disappointment. "You're older. More mature. And frankly, you don't have much going for you anyway." The words hit me like a physical blow. I actually took a step back. "But I don't want to marry him either! I don't even know him," I tried to explain, my voice rising with panic. "Don't be selfish!" my father snapped, slamming his hand on the armrest. "Your sister has a future. Dreams. This is your chance to finally do something useful for this family instead of just taking up space." His words shattered something inside me. "I always do everything for this family! I cook, I clean, I help with everything you ask, and you treat me like I'm nothing!" Janet shifted uncomfortably on the couch, but her eyes held something. Something cold. "Hannah, please don't make this harder than it has to be. We're all making sacrifices here." "What sacrifices are you making, Janet?" I turned to her, desperate for some solidarity, some understanding. "You get to stay here, finish school, live your life. I'm the one being sold off like property!" "Enough!" my mother hissed, standing up. "This discussion is over. You will do this, Hannah. For once in your life, you will be useful to this family." Before I could respond, my father's phone rang. He answered it, his face going from tense to completely pale in seconds. "What happened?" my mother asked, her voice rising with alarm. He stood up shakily, loosening his tie with trembling fingers. "The investors... they pulled out. All of them. Without the Martinez deal, we're finished." And just like that, he collapsed. The screams came from everywhere. Janet dropped to her knees beside him, wailing dramatically. My mother panicked and yelled for someone to call the doctor. I just stood there, frozen, watching my entire world spin out of control. Time moved strangely after that. Minutes felt like hours. The doctor came, checked my father's vitals, and administered medication. A heart attack, he said. Stress-induced. He needed rest and absolutely no more stress. I was still standing in the same spot, tears streaming down my face, when two of our security guards suddenly grabbed me by the arms. "Wait, what are you doing?" I tried to pull away, but their grips were iron-tight. They dragged me toward the stairs. I kicked, screamed, fought with everything I had, but they didn't even slow down. "This is what's best," my mother's voice floated up from below, cold and detached. "You'll be saving your family, Hannah. Isn't that what you've always wanted? To finally matter?" They threw me into my room and I heard the lock click from the outside. I pounded on the door until my fists hurt, screaming until my voice went hoarse. Through the wood, I could hear Janet's voice, calm and measured. "This is what she needs to do, Mom. For all of us." "I know, sweetheart," my mother responded, her tone almost affectionate. The type of warmth she never used with me. "You're such a good girl for understanding." I slid down the door, wrapping my arms around myself, and cried until there were no tears left. * * * By the time the door opened again, the sun had started to set, painting my room in shades of orange and red. Two maids walked in without a word. Not even a greeting. Not a trace of sympathy in their eyes. They yanked my clothes off like I was a doll, something without feelings or dignity. I was too exhausted to fight. They dressed me in a pale ivory dress that felt more like a burial shroud than a wedding gown. They applied makeup to my face with rough, uncaring hands. When they finally let me look in the mirror, I didn't recognize myself. My eyes were red and swollen. My face was painted to hide the evidence of my tears, but it couldn't hide the emptiness in my eyes. I kept hoping this was a nightmare. That I'd wake up and everything would be normal again. Or at least, as normal as my life ever was. They shoved me into a car. Janet's new car, the one my parents had bought her for her birthday last month. She stood by the driveway in her comfortable clothes, perfectly fine, waving at me with a small, satisfied smile. Like she was seeing me off on a vacation. The drive to the courthouse was silent except for the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. I kept thinking this had to be some kind of mistake. That someone would stop this. That my parents would come to their senses. But no one came. When we arrived, Elijah Martinez was already there, standing by the registrar. He looked like he'd come straight from work. His sleeves were rolled up, his tie was loose, and there was a glass of scotch in his hand. He looked distracted. Tired. Completely uninterested in what was about to happen. He glanced at me for barely a second before looking away. He didn't even really see me. "Let's get this over with," he muttered to the registrar, his voice low and bored. The smell of alcohol rolled off him in waves. The registrar looked uncomfortable but proceeded anyway. I signed the papers through a blur of tears. My hand was shaking so badly I could barely hold the pen. I was married. Just like that. And no one who loved me was there to support me. Not that anyone loved me. When we got to the Martinez estate that night, he was stumbling slightly, throwing off his jacket as he walked into the massive bedroom. He'd barely said two words to me the entire drive. When I glanced back outside, my family's driver and Janet's car were already gone. They'd left me here. Actually left me. The bedroom was enormous, decorated in dark, expensive furniture that felt cold and unwelcoming. Elijah locked the door behind us with a heavy click that made my heart race. I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. My hands were trembling. He turned to look at me, his eyes unfocused and glassy. For a moment, he just stared, as if trying to remember who I was or why I was there. Then he moved toward me, and I instinctively took a step back. "Don't," he said quietly, reaching for me. His hands were large and surprisingly gentle as they found mine. "It's okay. You're nervous. I understand." For just a moment, a tiny, fragile moment, something like hope flickered in my chest. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he was kind underneath the alcohol and the indifference. Maybe this marriage, as forced as it was, could become something real. Maybe someone could finally see me, choose me, want me. Maybe I could finally matter to someone. He pulled me closer, and I let him. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine a future where this man could love me. Where I wasn't just a burden or a tool. His lips found mine, and I tried to respond, tried to feel something other than fear and sadness. But then he pulled back slightly, his breath hot against my ear, and whispered, "Janet." The name hit me like ice water. My eyes flew open. "What?" But he wasn't listening. His eyes were closed, lost in his own world, his own fantasy. "I knew you'd come around, Janet. I knew you wanted this too." Everything inside me froze. No. No, this couldn't be happening. "I'm not..." I started to say, but he was already kissing me again, murmuring her name like a prayer. I tried to push him away, tried to make him understand, but he was so much stronger than me, and the alcohol had made him determined. Insistent. "Stop," I whispered, but the word came out weak, broken. "Please, I'm not Janet. I'm Hannah. I'm..." He wasn't listening. He'd never been listening. As he led me to the bed, still whispering her name, still believing I was my sister, I felt something inside me crack and then shatter completely. I realized with horrible, crushing clarity that my parents hadn't just arranged this marriage randomly. They'd known. They'd known he wanted Janet. They'd known, and they'd sent me anyway because I was disposable. Because I was the one they could sacrifice. And Janet had let them. She'd stood there, played the victim, and let them throw me to the wolves. That night, as he took everything from me while whispering another woman's name, while believing he was with the girl he actually wanted, I felt whatever small hope I'd been clinging to die inside me. It was never me. I was never the one anyone picked. I'd spent my whole life trying to be enough, trying to be seen, trying to matter. But I was losing my virginity to a man who didn't even know who I was. A man who wished I was someone else. My own sister. I stared at the ceiling in the darkness, tears sliding silently down my temples, and realized I had never felt more alone in my entire life."Dengan pria ini lagi, huh? Sebenarnya, apa hubunganmu dengannya? Dia ini benar-benar wali muridmu atau malah selingkuhanmu?"Panik. Itulah yang kurasakan sekarang. Mas Damian yang tiba-tiba berdiri di samping meja kami dengan ekspresi menahan emosi sudah berhasil membuatku menahan napas. Belum lagi pertanyaan menusuknya itu.Namun, belum lagi aku membuka mulut untuk menangkis tuduhannya itu, pak Daniel lebih dulu menyahut, "Jangan terburu-buru mengambil kesimpulan. Anda salah paham."Pak Daniel tidak akan asal-asalan berbicara seperti waktu itu, 'kan?"Salah paham, huh? Dulu kalian menginap bersama di hotel. Sekarang makan berduaan di sini. Kalian ingin mengelak bagaimana lagi?" Mas Damian tampak geram. Sebelum amarah suamiku itu meledak di tempat umum, aku segera bangkit dari tempat duduk dan ingin meraih tangannya. Namun, tangannya yang satunya lebih dulu diraih Anita. Ah, aku bahkan baru menyadari Anita ada di belakang Mas Damian."Mas, sudahlah. Ayo pergi saja. Kita di sini ingin
Jam baru menunjukkan pukul lima subuh ketika aku berdiri di balkon kamar menatap awan dan alam saling menyentuh. Kabut cukup tebal karena tadi malam hujan deras dan baru reda satu jam yang lalu. Udara begitu dingin. Aku memeluk tubuh yang hanya memakai gaun tidur berbahan satin tanpa lengan. Aku sedikit menggigil, namun ketenangan yang kudapatkan membuatku tetap bertahan di sana.Belakangan ini pikiranku begitu kacau. Aku sering merasa aneh pada perasaanku sendiri yang tak bisa konsisten. Sering kali aku juga meragukan keputusan besar yang kuambil belakangan ini. Ya, apalagi kalau bukan tentang tetap bertahan dengan Mas Damian.Ah, baru saja memikirkannya, suamiku itu tiba-tiba saja sudah berdiri di belakangku. Lengan kekarnya yang memelukku membuatku merasakan kehangatan. Tubuhku perlahan berhenti menggigil kedinginan."Ai, kenapa berdiri di sini? Udaranya dingin, Sayang," bisiknya lirih. Suaranya terdengar serak dan sepertinya ia masih setengah mengantuk. "Mas lanjut tidur saja. A
"Eca?" panggilku kala melihat seorang anak dengan rambut dikuncir kuda tengah berjongkok di depan gerbang TK. Ia tak menoleh karena sibuk melamun dengan menatap tanah. Aku pun segera menghampiri dan menyentuh pundaknya."Eca, kenapa jongkok di sini, Sayang?" Anak itu akhirnya mendongak dan menatapku. Aku pun segera membantunya bangun. "Ayo duduk di bangku sana saja," ajakku, menariknya lembut ke arah bangku yang disediakan. Aku tak perlu lagi bertanya alasan anak itu masih belum pulang. Wajah mendungnya sudah menjelaskan bahwa ayahnya lagi-lagi telat menjemput. "Sebentar, ya ... mungkin papanya Eca masih di jalan," hiburku sambil merapikan poni anak didikku itu. "Bu Guru akan temani sampai papanya Eca datang. Sekarang Eca lapar tidak? Mau makan dulu?" Anak itu hanya menggeleng sebagai jawaban."Umm ... atau Eca haus? Mau Bu Guru belikan minuman?" pertanyaanku itu lagi-lagi hanya dibalas gelengan kepala olehnya. Merasa Eca sedang tak ingin diajak bicara, akhirnya aku pun memilih bun
Setelah kejadian tadi, aku tak kunjung bangun dari ranjang. Aku memilih berdiam diri di dalam selimut. Berpura-pura tidur setiap kali Mas Damian memanggil dan membujuk agar aku berhenti merajuk.Bagaimanapun juga, perlakuannya tadi sudah sangat keterlaluan. Leherku bahkan masih terasa perih. Aku yakin akan ada jejak kemerahan bekas cekikannya di sana. Belum lagi, aku masih merasa sangat ngilu. Apa ini sudah bisa kusebut tindak kekerasan dalam rumah tangga? Ia seolah ingin membunuhku tadi. Jujur saja, aku bahkan masih sedikit takut padanya. Baru kali ini Mas Damian mengamuk sampai menyakitiku."Airin." Mas Damian memanggil lagi setelah sebelumnya pergi ke kamar mandi. Sepertinya ia sudah selesai membersihkan diri.Merasakan guncangan di ranjang, aku pun semakin mengeratkan peganganku pada selimut. Saat Mas Damian mencondongkan tubuhnya untuk melihat wajahku, aku lantas segera menutup kedua mata rapat-rapat."Ai ...."Tubuhku menegang saat ia berbisik tepat di depan telingaku. Jantungku
"Mas." Anita menyambut Damian yang baru keluar dari kamar mandi. Wanita itu tersenyum manis melihat tubuh kekar suaminya yang masih basah karena bulir-bulir air masih berjatuhan dari rambutnya. "Mau aku bantu keringkan rambut Mas Mian?""Tidak perlu," tolak Damian begitu saja. Pria itu juga langsun
Hari ini adalah hari pernikahan Mas Damian dan Anita. Ya, pernikahan yang tidak kuharapkan itu benar-benar terjadi meski aku sudah bersusah payah melakukan berbagai cara untuk membatalkannya. Tapi, ibu mertuaku yang selalu teguh pada pendirian itu tetap memaksa melaksanakan pernikahan kedua putrany
"Ini Anita, anak dari almarhumah tante Ratih. Kamu masih ingat, kan, Mas sama dia? Anita ini teman kecil kamu dulu, loh."Aku menatap sendu wanita yang duduk di samping ibu. Tak kusangka, ibu akan membawanya ke rumah kami secepat ini. Wanita itu begitu cantik. Tubuhnya ramping, rambut hitamnya panj
"Airin," panggil Mas Damian saat memasuki kamar kami. Aku tak menjawab panggilannya. Bersikap seolah tak mendengar suara dan tak merasakan kehadirannya. Aku yang kini berbaring di ranjang dan membelakangi pintu, tengah sibuk terisak pilu."Sayang ...."Kemudian kurasakan ranjang bergerak, menandaka






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