INICIAR SESIÓNBecause I ate three of the company's apples, my boss fired me on the spot. "This company has no use for an employee like you, someone who abuses their position to help themselves to company property." For ten whole years, I stood by this studio as it grew from a tiny backroom operation into what it is today. The toughest orders, the most difficult clients, the projects that left everyone gasping for air. Nearly all of them were carried on my shoulders. And now, just three apples had become my boss's "proof" that I was "misappropriating company resources." Worse, they got me branded as a petty freeloader. I didn't argue. I took out my phone and dialed Matt Kilcher's number. "Mr. Kilcher, about that million-dollar photo shoot we finalized, there's no need to sign with this studio. Every order from here on out goes to my new team."
Ver másRaymond si pria muda tampan berbodi bagus ini senyum ceria, malam ini adalah malam sakral baginya dan Rahma, istrinya. Ulang Tahun ke 4 mereka sebagai suami istri.
Raymond hanyalah sales sebuah dealer mobil yang dikatakan sulit laku, karena jual mobil-mobil asal negeri Tiongkok.
Sial…masih separuh jalan lagi sampai rumah, Raymond terpaksa berteduh, hujan yang tadi sudah gerimis, kini turun dengan derasnya.
Tiba-tiba ponsel jadulnya bunyi, ada chat masuk. Raymond pikir istrinya yang ngontak karena ini sudah pukul 21.00 lewat, tapi saat di buka, ternyata dari nomor tak di kenal.
“Hmm…siapa pengirimnya, kok ada lampiran fotonya,” batin Raymond, kaget saat membuka kiriman tiga buah foto tersebut.
Matanya melotot, jantungnya berdegup kencang. Foto itu perlihatkan seorang wanita cantik dengan rambut panjangnya dan gaun malamnya yang berwarna merah menyala sangat seksi, sampai perlihatkan pakaian dalamnya yang membayang.
Siapapun laki-laki normal pasti tergoda!
Walaupun gambar ini sedikit buram, karena di ambil secara sembunyi-sembunyi dan tempatnya seperti-nya sebuah pub atau klub malam, tapi wajahnya masih bisa di kenali.
Si wanita ini tak sendirian, ada seorang pria setengah tua yang terlihat merangkul si wanita seksi ini dan mengecup pipinya dengan mesra.
Wanita itu mirip sekali dengan…Rahma istrinya.
Raymond…serasa tak menjejak bumi, tubuhnya seketika mematung.
Benarkah itu Rahma…kenapa dia begitu dekat dan akrab dengan pria setengah tua necis dan terlihat sangat kaya raya itu?
Jadi…isu-isu miring yang selama ini dia dengar, sejak karir istrinya melejit dan kalahkan dirinya, di peroleh Rahma dengan cara selingkuh…apakah benar adanya?
Saking marahnya, Raymond letakan begitu saja kue berharga 145 ribu di sebuah halte tempatnya berteduh tadi. Dan tak peduli hujan deras, ia tancap gas pulang ke rumah mereka.
Raymond tak melihat mobil istrinya di garasi, artinya Rahma belum pulang!
Hatinya yang emosi kini dia redam, dengan berpikir positif, paling wanita di foto itu hanya mirip.
Tapi…kenapa 3 foto itu dikirim ke dia…apa maksudnya? Pikirnya dengan galau.
Pukul 23.45 menitan terdengar mobil datang, Rahma istrinya membuka pintu dan langsung menuju kamar.
Mereka berdua memang bawa kunci rumah masing-masing.
Melihat Raymond sudah ‘tidur’ dengan memunggunginya, Rahma hanya hela nafas, dia lalu ke toilet dan hapus make up cetar-nya.
Padahal Raymond aslinya belum tidur, hatinya masih galau dan panas dengan foto itu.
Tak sampai 15 menitan usai merebahkan diri di sisinya, dengkur halus Rahma terdengar. Raymond berbalik dan melalui siluet lampu tidur dia melihat wajah istrinya seperti orang yang sangat kelelahan…!
“Hmm…dia lupa dengan ulang tahun ke 4 pernikahan? Tapi…kenapa dia begitu terlihat lelah..?” kembali batin Raymond berkata, rasa curiga makin menjadi-jadi.
Paginya di meja makan…
Raymond masih terngiang-ngiang dengan kiriman 3 foto yang belum ia hapus, saat melihat istrinya kini terlihat makin cantik dengan blouse warna krimnya.
Di tambah rambut panjang yang sengaja dikritingin dan diberi warna coklat melewati bahunya, plus parfum mahal, cantik sekali Rahma ini di tambah kulit tubuhnya yang putih dan mulus serta semampai.
Rahma memang terlahir blasteran, ayahnya asli Australia, ibunya Sunda.
Mulut Raymond sudah gatal ingin bertanya, kemana saja istrinya hampir pukul 00.00 baru pulang tadi malam.
Tapi mulutnya kalah start, bibir Rahma yang di lapisi lipstick merah menyala duluan bicara.
“Bang, siang nanti mama tiriku dan kakak perempuanku datang dari Australia, mereka akan nginap di tempat kita selama di Jakarta. Katanya rumah mereka sedang di renovasi, jadi sementara pulang ke tanah air dulu, sekalian travelling,” cetus Rahma, sambil memotong roti dan memakannya perlahan.
Raymond diam saja, dia menunggu, apakah istrinya ingat hari ini genap 4 tahun mereka jadi suami istri?
Tapi…sampai Rahma pamit duluan ngantor, tidak ada sama sekali ucapan istrinya tentang ultah itu. Raymond hanya hela nafas panjang.
Padahal ini hari Minggu, tapi Rahma tetap kerja!
“Oh ya…aku mungkin pulang malam lagi, soalnya aku menemani bos di kantor metting dengan klien kakap, yang akan bangun pusat perbelanjaan di Kalimantan,” cetus Rahma lagi sebelum berlalu dari hadapan Raymond.
Si lelaki tak berdaya karena kalah karir dan penghasilan.
Dan kali ini Rahma tidak bawa mobil, tapi di jemput sebuah mobil….mewah!
Raymond hanya bisa mengangguk dan tidak ada ‘kuasa’ melarang. Ia tahu diri, saat ini, 90 persen kebutuhan rumah tangga mereka uangnya dari kantong Rahma.
Sejak karir Rahma melejit, mereka naik pangkat dari keluarga sederhana ke keluarga kelas menengah elit.
Kebutuhan hidup mereka pun otomatis menyesuaikan…mau tak mau, Rahma lah yang dominan keluar biaya!
Raymond bersihkan bekas makanan mereka, hal kecil yang dulunya dilakukan Rahma, kini dialah yang melakukannya, mereka memang tak memiliki pembantu.
Sesaat ia merasa harga dirinya jatuh ke titik rendah…!
**
BERSAMBUNG
When I didn't say anything, Rick thought he had a shot and quickly laid out the offer he'd prepared. "I came here today to ask you to come back. Things have been crazy at the studio lately, and I really can't handle it all on my own."As long as you bring your current projects and clients back to the company, I'll promote you to director. I'll raise your monthly base salary by two thousand dollars."As for everything that happened before, we'll wipe the slate clean. How about it?"Hearing his promises, made as if he were doing me some great favor, I couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing on the spot.A two-thousand-dollar raise to his base salary, in exchange for the millions in project profits I had in my hands?Even with his back against the wall, Rick still couldn't shake the scheming that was carved into his bones.I stood up and looked him straight in the eye, then tore his mask off without mercy. "Rick, stop the act. You really think I'd still believe your crap?"Fro
A month later, Rick's studio hit rock bottom.With so many longtime clients gone, the company's revenue fell off a cliff.Books that had once reliably cleared several hundred thousand dollars a month now glared back in deep red.When rent came due at the end of the month, Rick had to scrape together the hundred-thousand-plus to cover it.To cut costs, he started docking his employees' pay even more aggressively.Even printer paper in the office was rationed to a set number of sheets per day.As for toilet paper in the restrooms, he stopped stocking it altogether.The two interns, Terry and Buck, were the first ones to crack.They'd watched firsthand as the boss used a few apples to drive me out. They'd also seen the cold, mean-spirited man Rick really was.Now they were getting yelled at for no reason every day and taking the blame for an endless pile of problems.After talking it over, the two of them slapped their resignation letters on Rick's desk.They didn't even ask fo
I packed the few professional books that belonged to me into the box, along with my own mechanical keyboard and the battered camera bag that had been with me for ten years.I picked up the box and headed straight for the studio's front door.I didn't feel the slightest attachment or regret.I pushed open the heavy glass door.The early autumn breeze hit me in the face.I took a deep breath.I was finally leaving this stifling, cramped place, so full of scheming.All I felt was a sense of satisfaction and relief like nothing I'd ever known.During my first week after leaving the studio, I didn't give myself a single day off. The reality of starting my own business weighed on me even more heavily than I'd imagined.I took out every bit of savings I'd built up over the past few years.In a creative park way out on the edge of the city, I rented an unfinished 1,000-square-foot loft.There was no fancy decor, and no high-end coffee machine.They hadn't even gotten around to smoo
On the other end of the line, after a brief silence, Mr. Kilcher suddenly let out a hearty laugh. "Come on, Josh, what kind of talk is that? I handed over a million-dollar project because of your skills in the first place. If you're going out on your own, of course I'm coming with you."Honestly, I wouldn't trust that rinky-dink studio of theirs with someone else behind the camera. Send me your new company's account details. I'll have my accountant wire the advance this afternoon."Mr. Kilcher's words landed like a sledgehammer to Rick's face.I calmly said into the phone, "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Kilcher."Then I hung up.The dial tone echoed through the office.Rick glared at me, his eyes bloodshot. He was gulping for air, as if he were suffocating."Josh! How dare you poach the company's clients!" He jabbed a finger at my nose, practically spraying spit in my face. "This is a serious breach of professional ethics!"You stole the company's clients! You want me to call






Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.