In my sixth year with Nathan Bennett. "Nathan, I'm getting married," I said. He jolted, suddenly snapping back to reality, looking somewhat troubled. "Hannah, you know the company is at a crucial point with our financing. I'm not in the mood to..." “It’s okay,” I replied, my smile calm and composed. Nathan misunderstood. I was getting married, but not to him.
View MorePart 1
"Dicambuk 100 kali saja biar jera atau diarak saja keliling kampung, telanjangi mereka!" teriak salah satu warga memprovokasi. "Benar, lucuti mereka sekarang aja! Lalu arak keliling desa! Biar tau rasaa! Biar gak ada lagi yang nekat berbuat mesum dan zina seperti ini! Sungguh menjijikan!" sambut teriakan riuh para warga yang lain. "Hukum mereka!! Arak mereka keliling desa!!" Mereka semua saling sahut menyahut karena sudah terprovokasi. Aku hanya bisa tertunduk lesu sambil menangis sesenggukkan. Bagaimana mungkin, aku yang terjatuh terperosok ke sungai kecil, lalu ditolong lelaki itu justru dituduh berbuat mesum alias berzina? Namun penjelasan kami tak diterima oleh mereka. Bahkan berakhir dengan main hakim sendiri. Lelaki yang membantuku itu dihajar hingga wajahnya babak belur, bahkan motornya pun dirusak warga. Di bawah kaki-kaki hujan yang menitik, menjadi saksi tangisanku saat ini. Baju yang basah kuyup pun tak dihiraukan oleh mereka. Seolah mereka benar-benar tak punya hati. Membiarkan kami kedinginan sambil dijadikan bulan-bulanan. "Benar! Seret saja mereka! Lalu usir mereka tak boleh berada di sini lagi! Sungguh buat malu!" Aku menggeleng cepat, dan berusaha memberontak, tapi semua warga tak ada lagi yang percaya padaku. Entah siapa yang sudah mengarang cerita dan memprovokasi hingga terbit begitu dahsyat fitnah ini? Lelaki yang tadi jatuh tersungkur dihajar warga, akhirnya bangkit. "Tunggu! Tolong dengarkan aku. Aku bersumpah aku tidak melakukan hal tercela padanya." "Huuuuhh!" Mereka bersorak, bahkan ada yang melempari batu padanya hingga mengenai dahinya dan berdarah lagi. Melihatnya begitu miris, tapi aku pun sama nasibnya. Rasa nyeri di kaki tak kuhiraukan lagi. "Mana ada maling ngaku! Cepet sekarang eksekusi saja! Nungguin Pak Kades lama!" Salah seorang ibu-ibu menarik tanganku dan memaksa untuk melepaskan semua baju yang kukenakan. Ia bahkan hendak menarik jilbabku dengan paksa. Aku menangis makin tergugu. "Tidaak, aku gak mau! Aku mohon ampuni aku, Bu!" teriakku dengan suara parau. "Tolong hentikan, ada apa ini?" Sebuah suara mengagetkan kami. Rupanya yang datang adalah Kepala desa dan juga dua orang hansip. Mereka berjalan tergopoh-gopoh menghampiri kami. "Aku berani bersumpah, Pak. Aku gak melakukan hal yang mereka tuduhkan. Tadi aku--" "Jangan dengarkan itu, Pak Kades! Mereka ini tertangkap basah sedang mesum! Kami melihatnya sendiri! Kami gak bisa diam saja melihat norma adat dan agama dilanggar begitu saja! Mereka gak punya adab. Emang harus dihukum! Dicambuk 100 kali atau diarak keliling kampung dalam keadaan telanjang! Lalu di usir, biar mereka malu seumur hidup!" "Ya, itu benar Pak Kades!" sahut yang lain lagi. Pak Kades mengangkat tangannya agar warga yang terpancing emosi sedikit lebih tenang. "Tenang dulu, bapak-bapak, ibu-ibu, tenang! Kita tidak boleh main hakim sendiri begini. Kita harus dengarkan penjelasan mereka juga!" "Aaah, kelamaan!" Hampir saja terjadi bentrok lagi, untungnya Pak Hansip sigap mengamankan para warga. "Tenang, tenang, kita selesaikan masalah ini dengan kepala dingin!" tukas Pak Kades. "Pak, Anda adalah seorang kepala dusun ini, sudah pasti ucapan Anda lebih bijak dari pada yang lain. Saya mohon jangan mempermalukan seorang wanita sampai begini. Apakah tak ada cara lain selain diarak keliling desa tanpa busana? Padahal kami tak melakukan secuil pun hal yang mereka tuduhkan?!" Tiba-tiba lelaki yang menolongku itu menyela. Meski aku agak takut dengan penampilannya yang seperti berandalan, memakai tindik di sebelah telinganya, rambut sedikit gondrong tapi sepertinya .... "Ada cara lain untuk masalah ini," jawab Pak Kades lugas. "Apa itu, Pak?" tanya warga. "Nikahkan mereka. Itu sudah hukuman yang paling pas dan tidak memberatkan bagi mereka. Ini juga menyelamatkan nama baik kampung ini." Para warga akhirnya setuju dengan usulan Pak Kades. "Bawa keduanya ke kantor balai desa. Yang lain tolong bawakan baju ganti untuk mas ini dan juga Mbak Damay!" sergah Pak Kades. "Yang lain apa udah ada yang lapor ke rumah Pak Taryo, kalau anaknya ada masalah di sini?" "Belum, Pak." "Pak, tolong bilang ke Pak Taryo dan istrinya suruh datang ke Balai Desa." Salah seorang hansip yang ditunjuk hanya mengangguk dan melangkah pergi buru-buru. Sementara itu, aku dan lelaki yang tak kukenal namanya itu digiring ke Balai Desa. Sepanjang jalan aku menunduk sambil menahan rasa dingin yang makin menusuk kulit juga rasa nyeri di kaki akibat luka terkilir tadi. Sampai di Balai Desa, baik aku dan lelaki itu dikawal saat disuruh ganti baju yang kering. Tak berapa lama, terdapat beberapa pamong desa selain Pak Kades yang hendak menyidang kami. "Namanya siapa, Mas?" tanya salah seorang pamong pada lelaki muda bak preman itu. "Saga." "Coba liat kartu identitasnya." Lelaki itu mengeluarkan kartu identidas dari dalam dompetnya. "Sagara Banyubiru?" Lelaki bernama Saga itu mengangguk. "Kamu dan Damay pacaran?" "Tidak." "Terus kalian punya hubungan apa?" "Kami tidak punya hubungan apapun." "Lalu kenapa berdua-duaan di sana? Bahkan ada yang melihat kalau kamu sedang mesum?" tanya Pak Pamong desa lagi sambil memperagakan ujung jari tangannya beradu. "Tidak ada yang seperti itu, aku hanya menolongnya saja. Mereka pasti salah lihat!" jawabnya. "Mas Saga, tenang dulu. Jadi Mas Saga tidak punya hubungan apapun dengan Mbak Damay?" Lelaki itu menggeleng. "Terus apa kamu kenal dengan Mbak Damay?" "Aku hanya melihatnya beberapa kali di toko kue. Itu saja, gak ada yang lain." Aku menoleh ke arah lelaki itu, apakah dia pernah datang membeli kue? "Ada apa ini? Ada apa ini?" Suara cempreng milik ibu terdengar. Ibu melangkah tergesa ke arah kami disusul bapak dengan langkah terseok. Wajah keduanya tampak tegang. Pak Kades menjelaskan apa yang terjadi. "Jadi bener begitu, Damay? Dasar gadis kurang ajar! Gak tau diuntung kamu! Bukannya pulang kerja langsung ke rumah, kamu malah berbuat mesum sama berandalan ini?" Ibu marah sambil menunjuk wajahku dan juga Saga. "Eheem, sudah, Bu, sudah. Jadi masalah ini sudah ketemu solusinya. Biar mereka dinikahkan saja, biar gak timbul fitnah dan keributan lagi," timpal Pak Kades lagi. Mata ibu membulat. "Dinikahkan?" "Ya, ini udah kesepakatan bersama, dari pada mereka harus diarak keliling kampung, bukankah akan lebih memalukan?" Ibu langsung beralih memandang Saga. "Memangnya kamu punya mahar berapa mau nikahin anak saya?" tanya ibu dengan tatapan tajam. "Seratus ribu." . . . . . .I focused on the key detail. “When exactly was your college reunion?” “Earlier this month, I think it was the 6th,” Sarah replied. “…” Grandpa had brought up the idea of a marriage alliance with the Hendersons on the 8th. The timing was just too coincidental. Seeing my distracted look, Sarah nudged my arm. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?” “Sarah,” I hesitated, then asked in disbelief, “Are you saying Davis liked me for a while and asked you for information about me?” “What else could it be? Do you think he just randomly decided to ask about you for no reason?” “…” The whole day, my heart wouldn’t stop racing. I couldn’t help but think back to what Davis had admitted in the car a few days ago—that he liked someone. My emotions were in turmoil: surprise, confusion, disbelief, and even… a tiny spark of happiness. Happiness that my future husband liked me so much. That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Just past
Others might have tried to trash Hannah's name.But Nina knew better.She understood Nathan too well.She deliberately kept mentioning "Hannah," twisting the knife deeper.Making sure Nathan would live in regret forever.Only then would he...Stop chasing other women.That's how she'd get everything she wanted.Two days before Hannah's wedding, Linda took personal leave to fly to Eastbrook.Nathan approved the leave request.He stared at the reason for a long time.—Attending friend's wedding out of town.Originally...This leave was meant for his and Hannah's wedding.But now.The woman who'd shared six years of his life would stand beside another man tomorrow.Nathan pushed himself up from his desk and walked step by step to the Design Department.There was a new Design Director.But Hannah's office remained empty.She'd cleared out their home, but traces of her remained in the office.She loved using oil diffusers here.The scent still lingered faintly.The sam
Nina couldn't believe her ears."She's marrying someone else, and you're giving her such an expensive gift? This apartment's market value...""She's worth it."Nathan tossed out these words and walked away.Nina hurried after him. "Where are you going?""I have plans. Go home by yourself.""..."Nina was left behind, her body too sore to keep up.She had to take a cab home.But unlike Hannah's patient nature, by nine o'clock she was calling Nathan repeatedly.When he didn't answer, she kept calling.Kept texting.Hannah might be easy to fool, but she wasn't.Once you lose sight of a man, he could be with any woman.She couldn't understand what spell Hannah had cast on him.Before, he'd never seemed that deeply in love with Hannah.Now he was acting like some devoted lover.It wasn't until 2 AM that her phone finally lit up.But it wasn't Nathan's voice on the other end.It was one of his friends."Nina, Nathan's drunk. He keeps saying he wants to go home, but won't
Nathan fled back to Brookshire that night.Almost running away.Those screenshots made it impossible for him to even look Hannah in the eye.Straight from the airport, he rushed to Nina's place!Nina emerged from her room sleepily at the noise, delighted to see Nathan.She thought he'd chosen her over Hannah.She tried to throw herself into his arms, but Nathan grabbed her by the throat, pinning her to the couch!The choking sensation jolted her fully awake.She stared at him in panic, struggling desperately. "Nathan, are you crazy? Are you trying to kill me?!""Who gave you permission to send those screenshots to Hannah?!"Nathan roared, not loosening his grip, his eyes wild with rage. "Now she's misunderstood everything about us. Are you happy?""No, I didn't..."Nina scrambled for excuses. "I really didn't send them! Wait, I remember now! One day Hannah said you needed me, so I went to your office. I left my phone outside.""Maybe that's when Hannah looked through my...
The color drained from his face with each screenshot he saw.Each message was like a slap across his face.He couldn't speak.His eyes were red with emotion.I felt nothing, just held out my hand emotionlessly. "Did you bring the pendant? Linda said you wouldn't give it to her."Then, before he could make excuses, I added, "If not, you can FedEx it to me when you get back to Brookshire.""Hannah..." His voice was hoarse, looking at me almost pleadingly. "Can't you give me one more chance? Just one.""Nathan."I blinked. "In relationships, you only get one chance at trust."Just one chance for complete trust.Once that trust breaks, even if you try to piece it back together, all that's left are doubts and suspicion.Over time, you only grow to resent each other more.That kind of life was never an option for me.Nathan's trembling fingers twitched before he finally handed over the pendant.I took it without hesitation.The moment I did, all strength seemed to leave him.
”Suit yourself.”I hung up and found Davis offering me a candied apple.They were my favorite in middle school. I used to buy one every day after class, happily eating it on my way home.These past years, trying so hard to be an adult, I'd stopped buying such childish treats.And no one had bought them for me either.I thanked him, but before I could take a bite, he cautioned: "The fruit's quite tart. With your stomach condition, just have a little to satisfy the craving."I paused, surprised. "How did you know about my stomach?"Even my mother only found out yesterday.Davis replied quietly, "The broth you drink - all the ingredients are for stomach healing.""..."I was taken aback.At dinner, he'd seemed focused only on eating.Yet he'd noticed such details.I took a bite of the apple. "You're quite observant."“I’m all right,” Davis nodded, not bothering with modesty.I worried he might ask about the phone call, but he didn't mention it all evening, even when he drove
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.
Comments