Se connecterThe afternoon air was warm, and the bright blue sky seemed to welcome their arrival. The Mahesa family’s sleek black car slowly pulled to a stop in front of Aurelia’s parents’ house.Gian got out first, followed by Aurelia, who looked elegant in a soft cream knee-length dress. In the back seat, Nyonya Lestari stepped out in an emerald green kebaya, wearing a wide smile.“Liaaa!” Bu Mirna called the moment the gate opened.Her face lit up with happiness as she eagerly welcomed her daughter, who had spent most of her time at her husband’s family home since getting married.“Mom.”Aurelia immediately wrapped her arms around her mother, hugging her like a child who had finally come home after being away for far too long. The familiar scent of the house, a mixture of wood and jasmine, instantly filled her senses.It wasn't long before Pak Darto came out of the house, followed by several cousins who
Gian stopped in his tracks when he saw Aurelia emerge from the clinic’s main entrance. His shoulders rose and fell slightly as he tried to catch his breath, his sudden burst of worry still lingering.“Sweetheart, what happened?” Gian asked, panic evident on his face as he quickly walked toward his wife.Aurelia, now standing a few feet away, simply shook her head and gave him the same mysterious smile that did absolutely nothing to calm his racing heart.“Did you leave something behind?” Gian asked, his brow furrowing.“No,” Aurelia replied softly as she opened the car door. She climbed inside, calmly fastened her seat belt, and then looked at Gian, who was still standing outside.“Then...?” Gian moved closer to the window, looking half confused and half impatient for an answer.Aurelia held back a laugh at her husband’s expression, which seemed to be a mixture of worry, confusion,
This was where they were now, a place that seemed almost made for a married couple eagerly awaiting the arrival of their little one.Aurelia had only been teasing Gian to see how he would react. There was no way she could actually forget their appointment to see their baby.The examination room was quiet, filled only by the soft hum of the ultrasound machine and Aurelia’s gentle breathing. From the moment they entered, she had never let go of Gian’s hand.Although this was not her first prenatal checkup, for some reason, her heart was beating faster than usual.“All right, Mrs. Aurelia. Let’s get started,” the doctor said with a gentle smile as she applied a layer of clear gel to Aurelia’s stomach.The moment the ultrasound probe touched her skin, the screen in front of them displayed a slowly moving black-and-white image.Then a rhythmic, crystal-clear sound filled the room.Thump-thump-thump.
“I’m sure that professor must have some kind of painful past.”Aurelia only blinked slowly at Gian’s assumption. She knew perfectly well that her husband was still upset about what had happened to her.“You’ve done everything you could, sweetheart. Leave the rest to God and let Him decide the outcome,” Nyonya Lestari said as they sat down for breakfast the next morning.Tuan Mahesa nodded in agreement.“I’m proud of the way you think, sweetheart,” her father-in-law added.“Thank you. I’m really lucky to have wonderful in-laws like both of you.”“So you’re not lucky to have a husband like me?” Gian interjected, still clearly annoyed.“Oh, dear! Your son is acting up again,” Nyonya Lestari whispered teasingly to her husband.Everyone at the dining table chuckled, including the two servants who were serving breakfast.Aurelia quickly shook her head and wrapped both arms around her husband’s right arm, leaning against him affectionately.“You’re wrong, sweetheart. I’m many times luckier t
[Please reconsider your research topic. Your personal life choices make you too biased to take on this subject.]Half an hour had passed.Aurelia sat frozen on the edge of the bed. Her fingers gripped her phone so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She stared at the email from her advisor, reading the same lines over and over.The words cut like sharp needles.Her breathing grew shallow, and a tightness settled in her chest. She had no idea how she was supposed to react. Her left hand clutched the blanket, trying to steady the trembling that had suddenly taken over her body.“Lia?”Gian’s voice was rough with sleep, but it quickly turned concerned when he saw how pale his wife looked. He sat up, pushed the blanket aside, and turned toward her.“Hey. What’s wrong?”Aurelia slowly looked at him. Her voice was barely audible.“An email from Professor Malika...&rdqu
That morning, the campus sky was a pale gray, as if it were holding its breath along with Aurelia.Her hand tightened around the strap of her bag as she climbed the stairs to the second floor, toward Prof. Malika’s office. Each step felt like another heartbeat pounding harder than the last.The faint whispers of other students drifted through the hallway, but Aurelia barely heard them. Her mind was still focused on yesterday’s meeting.When she reached the door, Aurelia took a deep breath.Stay calm, Lia. You did nothing wrong. You just need to be stronger.She knocked twice.“Come in.”That flat voice immediately sent a shiver down her spine.Prof. Malika’s office was neat and cold. Psychology textbooks lined the tall shelves in perfect order, while the polished wooden desk was spotless. The strong aroma of black coffee lingered in the air.The woman in her forties sat behind the d
“I want to ask you something,” Gian said quietly, though his voice carried an unmistakable firmness. “Who exactly were you trying to please?”Aurelia froze. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.Madam Lestari folded her arms even tighter across her chest. “Certainly not me, Gian,” she snapped.Si
Gian didn’t answer. Only a long, heavy silence filled the room, swallowing whatever courage Aurelia had left. She shut her eyes, desperately hoping for an explanation—anything. But all she heard was the faint rustle of fabric as Gian shifted on the sofa.Minutes passed before a voice finally broke
Aurelia didn’t sleep a single second. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, the cracks forming strange shapes, like a spiderweb slowly tightening around her. She felt trapped, and today that web was pulling her straight into the center of her ruin.Devina’s last words echoed in her skull like a cur
“You’re going to take your sister’s place and marry Mr. Gian.”The words fell from her father’s mouth with a coldness that sliced straight through her bones. As if he were asking her to run to the corner store for salt, not telling her to hand over her entire life to a man she’d never even met.Aur







