You and I are like the moon and stars, imprisoned in the night. We revolve on the same axis but impossible to be together.
***
If he didn't remember his ego and the self-respect he held high, he would have undressed Emily since last night and enjoyed their wedding night. But for a high-egoed doctor like Calvin, he wouldn't spit on his own decisions. He would never jeopardize his credibility in front of that sharp-tongued girl. Never.
Seeing Emily shivering from the room's air conditioning, Calvin quickly covered her with the blanket again. Then, he swiftly grabbed a towel that he had carelessly left on the nightstand the previous night and headed to the bathroom to relieve his pent-up desires.
"Because of that feisty girl, I had to play solo. Damn it!" Calvin cursed to himself as he enjoyed the release of pent-up desires. Ironically, the girl he was cursing was now the one haunting his thoughts, becoming the object of his wild fantasies.
After completing his mandatory morning ritual, Calvin performed his daily routines and left the room. This was the only way to avoid falling into Emily's temptation. Calvin was determined not to fall in love with a girl who had never captured his attention from the beginning, as he had once mentioned to Emily during their first encounter. Instead, Calvin intended to make her willingly leave his life forever.
Ah... Emily's body writhed under the thick blanket. The cold feeling that seemed to penetrate her core made Emily reluctant to wake up. The girl actually curled up again in a thick blanket. Drowning yourself to find warmth. In less than 10 minutes of being under the blanket, the girl immediately woke up and screamed loudly, "You're stupid, Emily, you're at your in-laws' house. You might wake up at noon!" Emily immediately threw the blanket off her body then rushed into the bathroom. So that no one would suspect that her wedding night was just a fictitious Emily standing under the shower. Wetting his whole body. However, he wanted his two brothers and sisters to be relieved that the loveless marriage that had become public knowledge was not a problem. Emily wants to see her parents happy, especially her father who is suffering from a stroke. For almost a year his father had to use a wheelchair because he was paralyzed in part of his body.
This time Emily didn't want to disappoint her family again. The unilateral cancellation of his previous marriage to Rama was enough to hurt his parents' hearts. The man she had been dating for two years broke off their relationship when their wedding was about to be held in a matter of days for no apparent reason. This incident also caused his father's hypertension to recur and he suffered a stroke to this day.
Emily felt relieved seeing that the two middle-aged women welcomed her warmly. She smiled politely in response to her mother-in-law's teasing.
"Thank you, Mrs. Nadila. I'll do my best to be a good wife," Emily said softly.
Her mother beamed with pride. "I hope so too, dear. May both of you be happy."
They continued with breakfast and light conversation, creating a more comfortable atmosphere in the morning. Emily felt a little more at ease now, even though her situation was complicated.
Emily merely responded with a faint smile. If only her mother knew about Calvin's harsh treatment towards her, she would surely take her away right now.
"Where is Dad?" Emily asked as she pulled a chair next to Nadila and sat down.
"He's chatting in the backyard with Dad and Calvina," Amora replied, her gaze fixed on her fresh and beautiful daughter-in-law.
"Where's Calvin, Mom? He said he was staying here last night, right?" Emily continued.
"Oh dear, how forgetful you can be, sweetheart. Your siblings all left last night. So, it's just your dad and me who stayed here," Nadila explained as she sipped her hot tea.
"Sorry, I forgot, Mom. Hehehe!" Emily replied with a grin.
Not long after, Adelia joined the three women, adding to the lively morning in the luxurious house.
"Cie cie, the newlyweds with wet hair!" Adelia teased, pretending to sigh as she inhaled the scent of Emily's still-damp hair.
"Hey Adelia, don't tease your sister like that!" scolded Amora when she noticed Emily blushing.
Amora and Nadila had been friends since their high school days, but due to their busy lives, they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Adelia and Emily had also become quite close because Amora often invited Adelia to visit Emily's house during their free time. They were also online friends, which had strengthened their bond despite rarely meeting in person.
"Mom!" Calvin called as he approached the group of women gathered in the dining room.
"What is it?" Amora asked, looking at her son.
"Later, I want to take Emily to her house to get her clothes, and then we'll move to my apartment, okay?" Calvin continued, smiling at Nadila.
"Why don't you let your brother accompany Emily to get her clothes? You can just give him the address of her apartment," Nadila replied casually.
"Wait a minute. Who gave you permission to move? This house is spacious enough for all of us to live together," Amora said, surprised by Calvin's sudden decision.
"Mom, what's going on? Calvin has already prepared the apartment for his wife. Besides, we want to enjoy our honeymoon since it was postponed!" Calvin pleaded to get his mother's permission. Emily, who heard Calvin's words, choked. Her face turned red from embarrassment due to Calvin's candid statement.
"Be careful, dear!" Nadila patted Emily's shoulder and handed her a tissue.
"Fine, just go along with their wishes. It's like you've never experienced being newlyweds!" Nadila said as she continued to comfort Emily.
Emily gave Calvin a sharp look, which only made him approach her.
"Let's go to our room," Calvin said as he hugged Emily's shoulder. They walked together, their footsteps echoing on each step as they climbed the stairs towards their room.
"What else do you want from me, Calvin?" Emily whispered, without intending to look at the man who was currently hugging her. Their legs moved in sync as they ascended the staircase one by one.
"Of course, I'm tired of pretending all the time. Besides, I want to give you a valuable lesson," Calvin replied, moving his lips closer to Emily's ear, sending shivers down her spine.
Andrew couldn't hide his emotion when he uttered the marriage vows. Just a few seconds ago, those sacred words resonated in a room adorned with white and silver tones. Andrew managed to pronounce them loudly and smoothly, accompanied by the harmonious echoes of the official announcement. Now, Andrew looked at the beautiful woman beside him, gazing at the woman in a white kebaya who had been lowering her face. Andrew reached for the fingers of the woman named Alice Nichole Wirawan and then placed the ring on her ring finger.Slowly, Alice lifted her face, daring to look at Andrew with teary eyes. With trembling hands, Alice switched to holding Andrew's fingers, placing the ring on his ring finger as a sign that their relationship was now recognized both in the eyes of religion and the state. Nothing could separate them now except death.After Alice kissed the back of Andrew's hand for the first time, Andrew kissed Alice's forehead while reciting a prayer. This was followed by a collect
Now they were all in the dining room except for Melinda, who had not come out of her room yet. Despite receiving a warm welcome from Papa and Andrew's younger sibling, Alice's heart was not at ease. The key was Melinda, Andrew's mother. She was the instigator of the arranged marriage plan between Andrew and Nafisah that Alice had successfully thwarted. This was the reason causing fear in Alice at the moment."Alice, are you feeling better?" Anindya asked, as Alice looked pale and anxious since her arrival."I'm fine Nin, I'm okay," Alice replied with a smile."There, your Mom finally came down. Women always need more time to get ready," Januar whispered so as not to be heard by the hijab-wearing woman currently descending the stairs.Andrew and Alice immediately approached to greet Melinda. Then Melinda sat next to Januar, facing Alice without saying a word. The woman stared at Alice expressionlessly, while Alice chose to lower her head, her heart pounding. Honestly, Alice wanted to g
Andrew remained silent while playing with the ends of Alice's hair as she leaned against his chest. The facts he learned today truly opened his eyes, making Andrew determined to keep Alice by his side. However, a significant obstacle lay ahead. Could he keep the promise he made to Alice? Could he prove to her that his love was not just a mere joke? This time, Andrew was truly serious about falling in love, a feeling he had never experienced before. His emotions for Alice were so strong that Andrew felt powerless. He was like a tortured man awaiting a death sentence, just waiting for certainty from Alice. Ahead were two obstacles that Andrew couldn't predict. How to thwart his arranged marriage with Nafisah and waiting to see how Alice's parents would react when he came. Everything was still unclear, making Andrew's heart feel uncertain. All he could do now was wait, because forcing his will on Alice would be akin to torturing her. And Andrew didn't want to inflict more wounds on Alice
"Do your parents accept a prospective son-in-law like me?" Alice said with a wistful smile, looking at Andrew who was driving seriously.Andrew remained silent. Unable to answer Alice's question because he had never introduced a woman as his girlfriend to his parents."I haven't tried," Andrew finally answered, seeing Alice's disappointed expression. "We will meet my parents soon after you're ready. And I hope that won't be too long," Andrew said firmly, then reached for Alice's fingers to hold them.Alice snorted in annoyance. Why did it have to be so complicated? Alice's intention was to corner Andrew, but it turned into a boomerang attacking herself."Ahem... So, who was the woman in a hijab you hugged at the mall that time? I'm sure it wasn't your sister Nindy," Alice asked, shifting the conversation in a teasing manner."Are you jealous?" Andrew teased, receiving only a head shake from Alice. "Okay then. I won't answer if that's the case," Andrew replied, holding back a smile."J
"Oh, my God, I forgot to inform Mr. Andrew. I might get scolded later," Lexy muttered while holding his phone.Andrew, who was still talking with his colleague, immediately excused himself to answer the call."What's wrong, Lex?" Andrew said, getting straight to the point."Alice is now in the hospital, Sir," Lexy replied hesitantly, successfully surprising Andrew."Since when?" Andrew asked, sounding clearly panicked. Now he was walking towards the exit door of the ballroom."At 7 pm, Alice had a fever again. Then...""Tell me, which hospital?" Andrew interrupted impatiently."Medical Center Hospital, Cendana Pavilion VIP 03," Lexy explained quickly.Andrew quickly took brisk steps towards the parking area. Due to his haste, Andrew didn't even reply to the greetings of the security personnel on duty there. In a rush, Andrew started his car's engine and swiftly left the building area. Ignoring his duties entirely, he considered the most important thing at the moment was to meet Alice
A beautiful woman of English-Indonesian mixed heritage walked casually down the hospital corridor. Despite nearing half a century, her age didn't seem to affect her beauty. Her glossy, black, long hair was neatly tied. There was not a hint of sadness on her face. Unlike most mothers who would panic upon hearing that their daughter was sick, she remained calm and composed. Two words aptly described the expression on Valerie's face: calm and composed.Lexy, who had just stepped out of Alice's hospital room, was startled to see Valerie's arrival."Where's Alice?" Valerie asked arrogantly."Inside," Lexy replied briefly. Regret instantly crept into Lexy's heart. It seemed he was greatly mistaken in contacting a woman who did not deserve the title of a mother.Valerie stared at Lexy sharply, as he stood there dumbfounded, blocking her way. "Can you step aside?" Valerie said sarcastically. Lexy immediately snapped back to reality and quickly stepped aside, making way for the arrogant woman
At exactly seven in the evening, Asih, accompanied by Zahra, arrived with the bouquet of flowers ordered by Lexy – red and white lilies, Alice's favorites. Since their encounter at the flower market, Alice had never been late in ordering flowers to adorn her apartment. Every three days, Alice would order lilies and use a courier service to deliver them to her apartment."Where's Alice?" Asih asked with a worried expression."Alice is in her room, Ma'am," Lexy replied politely, accepting the bouquet from Zahra's hands and inviting them to enter.Asih's eyes instantly welled up with tears seeing Alice curled up under the blanket. Slowly, she approached the bed and sat by Alice's side."Oh, Lord, Miss, how did it come to this?" Asih exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks.Asih held Alice's shoulder while gazing at the pale face before her. Then, with trembling hands, Asih reached out to touch Alice's forehead."Son, let's go to the doctor. Miss Alice has a high fever," Asih said in pan
"Alice, what's wrong, Sir?" Lexy asked in a panic, barging in past Andrew. Passing through the living room, Lexy caught a glimpse of an empty whiskey bottle there. Without permission, Lexy entered Alice's room. Fortunately, earlier when Andrew called, Lexy was on his way to Alice's apartment. In his rented house, Lexy was restless after seeing the news on television about the marriage of the man who had once been engaged to Alice. So Lexy decided to cancel a date with his girlfriend and chose to accompany Alice during the weekend. And indeed, Alice violated Dr. Henry's prohibition on consuming alcohol again."Liz?" Lexy called when he saw Alice curled up under the blanket. "You're really stubborn, I've told you not to drink again, but you keep breaking the rules," Lexy scolded while taking a compress cloth from Alice's forehead."Alice has a fever, but she hasn't regained consciousness; I don't know where she keeps her medicine," Andrew said, walking towards the bed. "I'm also confuse
And Andrew finally gave in. With uncertain feelings, Andrew reached for the back of Alice's head and gently kissed her lips. Shortly after, Alice released their lip connection to take a breath. She looked into Andrew's eyes, now filled with passion, and kissed Andrew's lips again to release all the burdens in her chest. In reality, Andrew was the only man who always worried about her, the man who always came at the right time. Without any resistance, Andrew took Alice's body to the bedroom.Andrew started his actions, playing with Alice's body until she felt crazy. Unlike usual, this time Andrew quickly finished their passionate encounter. Alice quickly got up from the bed and put on her clothes casually, while Andrew still stared at Alice's back with an indescribable feeling."Liz!" called Andrew, instantly making Alice turn and mumble, "As long as we're having sex, I've never used protection. I'll take responsibility if you get pregnant," Andrew said for the umpteenth time, looking