เข้าสู่ระบบ"What... What are these?" Selene stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Divorce papers?" She looked up at Maximus, searching his face for some sign of a joke, a mistake - anything to tell her this wasn’t real. His eyes flickered with a brief moment of hesitation before hardening into a steely gaze. "If Jess hadn’t disappeared, we never would have gotten married” he drawled before delivering the final blow. “Well, Jess is back now.” She couldn’t breathe. Despite her best efforts over their three years of marriage, Maximus had never acknowledged her nor loved her the way he loved Jess. **** She signed the papers, and left his life for good, taking the babies growing in her womb with her. A few years later, She became a top medical doctor and did everything possible to stay away from Maximus. However, on her twins’ fifth birthday, they came running to her, giggling: "Mummy, we found our billionaire daddy!" She looked up and saw Maximus standing in front of her, clearly expecting her to run into his arms. Instead, She chuckled. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she responded with a deadpan expression, "No, babies, your Father is dead."
ดูเพิ่มเติม“Dik, memangnya enggak bisa kalau rumah sehari saja enggak berantakan?” Rasanya kepalaku ingin pecah setiap kali pulang ke rumah. Selalu saja disuguhkan pemandangan seisi rumah yang porak-poranda seperti diterjang angin puting beliung. Mainan gelas plastik semuanya tercecer di lantai. Darahku rasanya ikut naik ke kepala. Lagi-lagi harus menahan emosi mati-matian agar tidak sampai meledak. Mengingat anak-anak yang pasti akan ikut menangis kalau sampai itu terjadi. Bukannya menyelesaikan masalah judtru kepalaku bertambah pening. Mendengar tangisan mereka yang tidak pernah usai hingga larut malam.
“Maaf Bang, nanti adik bereskan. Mau makan sekarang?” tawar Nisa, istriku.
“Maulah pakai tanya!” sungutku kesal. Hari ini rasanya kesabaranku telah habis melihat penampilannya yang acak-acakan ditambah bau pesing yang menyeruak masuk ke indra penciuman, membuatku tidak lagi bisa menahan emosi yang terlanjur naik.
“Astaghfirrullah, Bang,” lirih Nisa pelan. Namun, masih sampai ke pendengaran. Dia menatap nanar, tetapi aku mengabaikannya begitu saja memilih meneruskan langkah menuju sofa empuk di ruang tamu kami. Kulemparkan tas kerja dengan kasar ke meja hingga menimbulkan bunyi cukup keras. Nisa tampak mengusap dadanya perlahan. Ketika pandangan kami bertemu dia paksakan bibirnya untuk tersenyum menyambutku, sedang aku hanya tersenyum kecut ke arahnya. Sampai aku menyadari raut mukanya tiba-tiba berubah sendu. Ada kesedihan di sana. Mungkin selama ini aku terlalu memanjakannya sehingga baru sedikit membentak, dia bisa terlihat begitu menyedihkan. Rasanya muak. Istriku yang dulu menarik hati kenapa sekarang begitu membuatku kesal hingga tidak betah lama-lama di rumah?
Kuhempaskan bobot tubuh di kursi lalu meraup wajahku dengan kasar. Mencoba menstabilkan amarah yang mulai memuncak. Aku bosan. Rumah tangga yang kujalani selama 15 tahun terakhir ini kenapa rasanya hampa? Tidak ada lagi gairah. Tidak pernah kurasakan lagi sesuatu yang berdenyut di dalam hati. Apa lagi sejak Nisa melahirkan Khalid dia tidak pernah mau kusentuh selalu saja beralasan belum siap padahal masa nifasnya pun sudah selesai. Pernah kupaksakan meminta hakku yang terjadi dia malah merintih di bibir ranjang. Seolah aku ini orang asing yang berusaha menjamah tubuhnya, padahal aku belum menyentuhnya sama sekali. Tidak sampai hati aku melakukannya melihat Nisa yang ketakutan hingga wajahnya memucat. Membuat hasratku lenyap seketika.
“Bang, ayo makan!” Suara Nisa kembali terdengar seolah menarikku kembali pada kenyataan.
“Ya sudah siapkanlah sana!” sungutku kasar. Tidak ada jawaban hanya rautnya yang berubah sendu.
“Itu makanannya sudah di meja.” Gegas kulirik meja di depanku. Benar, di situ ada piring lengkap dengan lauk pauknya. Nisa masih saja berdiri mematung di tempatnya, membuatku kesal saja.
“Ya sudah sana, beresin mainannya!” Nisa sedikit tersentak mungkin karena nada bicaraku yang mulai meninggi. Hingga anak-anak yang sedari tadi berteriak berebut mainan pun mendadak diam. Pandangan mereka kini beralih padaku. Melihat ekspresi mereka yang ketakutan. Kupaksakan tersenyum pada Reina dan Raina meskipun jengkel di hatiku terus menjalar.
“Mamah!” teriak anak-anak. Mereka menjerit sembari berlarian ke sana ke mari. Sayangnya karena mainan yang berserakan di lantai akhirnya membuat Kembar terjatuh. Nisa berlari membangunkan dua balita yang menangis kencang. Dua-duanya meminta untuk digendong. Bobot mereka yang lumayan berat tentu saja membuat Nisa kewalahan. Kutinggalkan piring makan yang tentu belum sempat tersentuh sama sekali. Kuangkat Reina ke dalam gendongan. Tangisnya mulai mereda perlahan begitu pun dengan Raina. Mereka kembali melanjutkan aktivitasnya bermain. Jam sudah menunjukkan pukul 10 malam, tetapi mereka belum juga lelah padahal aku yakin Kembar telah bermain sejak pagi.
“Apa sih yang kamu lakukan seharian, sudah ada ART pun rumah masih saja berantakan?"
“Khalid lagi reweL, Bang.”
“Ah, Khalid terus yang kamu pikirkan. Ya sudah sana bereskan, jangan sampai anak-anakmu yang lain enggak terurus cuma gara-gara Khalid.”
“Astaghfirrullah Mas, dia juga anak kita. Wajar kalau perhatianku lebih banyak ke Khalid. Dia masih bayi.”
“Ya sudah, terserah!” Aku bergegas pergi ke lantai atas ingin segera membaringkan tubuh yang dari tadi sudah berteriak minta diistirahatkan. Mengabaikan Nisa dan anak-anak yang masih sibuk dengan mainannya.
~
Keesokan harinya aku pergi ke kantor seperti biasa. Kebetulan sepulang kerja ada acara makan-makan. Salah satu staf ada yang baru diangkat karyawan karenanya kami semua di traktir Cafe Lavanda. Jaraknya tidak jauh dari rumahku jadi sekalian saja aku ikut serta. Sebenarnya aku tidak terbiasa pergi ke acara seperti ini. Bagiku hanya buang-buang waktu, tetapi tidak ada salahnya juga kalau kucoba kali ini. Dari pada pulang ke rumah yang hanya membuatku naik darah.
“Lihat Santi anak magang yang baru, cantik ya?” Fredi memulai percakapan di antara kami.
“Lumayan, mau enggak ya jadi bini ke dua?” Haris ikut menimpali sembari terkekeh kecil. Santi memang cantik tetapi dia terlalu muda, bukan seleraku juga. Aku hanya diam menyaksikan rekan kerjaku yang beradu argumen.
“Gila, mana mau sama aki-aki bau tanah,” timpal Fredi.
“Walaupun begini gue masih bugar, sialan lu! Kalau dilihat-lihat Santi enggak alim-alim amat. Gue sering lihat kalau lagi digoda sama Haikal, langsung salah tingkah," ujar Haris.
“Jeli juga mata lu, Ris,” sahut Fredi.
“Lihat saja pakaiannya! Kucing dikasih ikan ya dimakan,” ucap Haris seraya tertawa cukup keras. Tawa kami pun pecah. Seakan-akan kami semua ikut terpapar virus tengil yang dibawa Haris. Saat itu pakaian Santi memang terbilang cukup berani. Setelan kemeja dengan rok ketat di atas lutut. Tentu saja mampu menghipnotis pria hidung belang macam dua temanku ini.
“Dia masih jomblo loh, Bos Wan,” tawar Haris padaku.
“Iya itu Bos, kasih ceramah dikit pasti boleh poligami,” tambah Fredi. Belum juga kujawab tawaran Haris dia sudah menyambar lebih dahulu.
“Gila lu Fred, jangan bawa-bawa agamalah enggak lucu.'' Haris langsung menunjukkan ekspresi tidak sukanya.
“Bukan selera gue!” jawabku asal. Meski aku atasan mereka tapi di luar kantor kami sudah terbiasa mengobrol seperti ini. Haris dan Fredi seangkatan denganku. Nasib baik lebih berpihak padaku. Tiga tahun lalu aku diangkat menjadi kepala cabang.
“Munafik lu Bos, coba perhatikan baik-baik.” Bukannya kapok Fredi malah tambah nekat. Aku pun refleks memutar bola mata. Seketika pandangan mata kami bertemu. Santi tiba-tiba melempar senyum sedang aku hanya mengangguk canggung.
“Yakin enggak mau?” tawar Fredi lagi.
“Cantik sih,” lirihku. Entah masih terdengar oleh mereka atau tidak.
“Cewek kayak begitu biasanya agresif. Dijamin enggak bakal bosan. Percaya sama gue!”
“Beda sama Nisa yang enggak punya inisiatif.” Astaga aku malah kelepasan mengatakan itu.
“Bagaimana maksudnya? Nisa membosankan begitu?” Haris sepertinya cukup terkejut. Matanya membelalak.
“Ya begitulah. Gue mulai jenuh. Sudah enggak pandai merawat diri. Rumah pun selalu berantakan, bikin enggak betah.”
“Ya sudah jadikanlah itu si Santi bini muda.” Si Fredi ini lagi-lagi menyuruhku mendekati Santi. Kembali pandanganku beralih pada Santi. Gadis ini, entah kenapa aku merasa dia terus memperhatikanku. Dia terus saja tersenyum membuat dadaku berdebar tidak karuan.
Maximus’ POV"Asher, slow down! The ice cream isn’t going anywhere," I grunt, watching my son sprint ahead like he’s in some kind of race. "If you fall, I swear I won’t feel bad for you this time. I’m serious—get back here!"Of course, he doesn’t listen. If anything, he runs even faster, making me chase him like some desperate lunatic.I give up. I’m already exhausted, and the last thing I need is to pass out because my kids are being their usual mischievous selves.Beside me, Raymond chuckles, clearly enjoying my suffering. I shoot him a sharp look, and just like that, his laughter dies."I don’t think you’re in any position to laugh," I scowl, crossing my arms. "This is your fault. You had one job, Raymond. One. Look after them till I got back. I don’t need you to be the ‘cool uncle’—I need you to be the responsible one. No wonder Avery doesn’t like you.Please, for the love of everything good, remind me never to let you babysit again. You’re the worst."He grins, completely unfazed
Maximus: My heart skips a beat. “That bomb explosion was meant to take out everyone, including Benjamin, whom I sent. That’s right, Maximus, I’m the one behind your sabotage,” he continues, grinning widely. “The orphanage, the construction worker, Henry O'Hara, sending you those threatening messages—it was all me. And I must say, I had fun, but now the fun is over. My sidekick is dead. I told him I don’t like loose ends, so I had to end his life. Benjamin is practically useless to me.” It’s one shocking revelation after another. First Jess, now this?! What’s next? “You’re lucky Raymond survived. I don’t know how he got out of the building on time, but that’s not my business. My fight isn’t with him.” Mason steps closer “Now come over here, let’s go, Selene. I’ve already arranged a plane to take us anywhere you want. We can get married and live however we want.” Selene takes a step back as Mason points a gun at us. I move her behind me, determined not to let my brother hurt th
Maximus POV It’s been over an hour since the police took Jess away, and the weight of it all still hasn’t fully hit me. She’s finally going to pay for what she’s done. Her words echo in my head, and I can’t seem to shake them. I can’t believe all these years I’ve been lied to—Kylie isn’t even my daughter. Jess has been deceiving me all this time. But I won’t let that define how I see Kylie. I will prove Jess wrong. When I look at my child, I won’t see someone else’s daughter. I’ll see my daughter, and nothing Jess says will change that. If she thinks that I’m going to hate Kylie because of her lies, she’s sorely mistaken. Kylie has always been the light in my life. She’s the reason I’ve been able to endure this broken marriage for as long as I have. Every morning, seeing her smile makes everything worth it. The thought of ever telling her she wasn’t mine is unthinkable, especially with the anxiety issues she’s been battling thanks to Jess. I would never put that on her—she’
Selene: I take an involuntary step back as panic courses through my veins. "What are you doing here? How are you out?" My voice comes out shaky, my mind racing. How is he not behind bars? He poisoned me. He almost killed me. I can’t comprehend how he’s standing in front of me, free. He must see the confusion in my eyes, because he immediately starts talking, as though he’s read my thoughts. "I know what you're thinking," he says, his tone hesitant but strangely apologetic. “What am I doing out of jail? Well, I can't tell you how I got out. I didn't escape if that's what you're thinking. I just... I wanted to apologize." I feel an odd sense of dread twist in my gut. "Apologize?" I repeat, incredulously. I take another cautious step back. I don’t trust him. Not after what he did to me. Not after what he almost did. His eyes are desperate, almost pleading, as he moves closer, and I instinctively take another step back, my body going tense. "I lied," he continues, his voice low. “I
Mason’s POV "You really love being a hospital patient, don’t you, Selene? Even though you work here, you don’t seem to get tired of this.” I glare at her as she lies on the bed, then shift my focus to Avery, who’s sitting beside her. My jaw tightens. "Your best friend refused to tell me anythin
Selene's POV "Just look at how happy they are. I can't believe they didn't want a party, that is so unlike them. Do you remember their last birthday?" Nelly chuckles beside me, and I glance at her. She's smiling widely while watching Anna and Asher. I'm glad she loves my kids as much as I do. "Ho
Selene's POV I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed ever since Maximus found out about the children. I know I’ve been acting differently—on edge, constantly looking over my shoulder. Every time I hear a knock on the door, I expect it to be him, barging in, demanding that I hand over Anna and A
Selene’s POV: The panic consumes me, and my voice shakes with frustration. "Please help me find them and tell me what the hell happened, because I am confused and losing my mind here!" Nelly looks horrified but remains silent. I don’t have time to wait for her explanation. I take off, ignoring th






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