로그인To cure our daughter's pancreatic cancer, I made a deal with the System, trading the rest of my life for a miracle drug. My husband called me insane to my face, but secretly gave the medicine to his mistress to treat her facial scar. When I was falling apart in despair, he had the audacity to explain: "Vicky has dreams of becoming a star. She's already 24, she can't wait any longer. "Besides, didn't you get that drug by sleeping around? How could a housewife like you possibly get such high-end medicine on your own? If you want to save our daughter, why don't you go whore yourself out again? It's not like it'll kill you, right?" But the truth is, I really don't have another life to trade for another dose.
더 보기Tiga tahun menikah dengan Roman Alister, pewaris tunggal keluarga Valeriano, Sabiya tidak pernah diajak ke acara publik.
Meski begitu, ia tidak pernah merajuk atau menuntut. Sabiya percaya sang suami melakukan itu sebagai bentuk cintanya yang luar biasa.
"Klan musuh selalu mencari kelemahanku, Sayang," kata Roman suatu malam, sambil mengusap rambut Sabiya yang hitam pekat.
"Mereka tidak segan menculik orang yang kucintai. Aku tidak bisa mengambil risiko kehilanganmu."
Sabiya hanya mengangguk patuh, karena ia tak mampu menjawab dengan suara.
Roman selalu menjaganya. Memberinya rumah megah di pinggiran kota yang tenang, dikelilingi taman mawar yang Roman tanam sendiri.
Sang suami membelikannya gaun-gaun mahal, perhiasan, dan mobil mewah meski Sabiya tak pernah memintanya. Bahkan seluruh keluarga tahu betapa Roman memanjakannya.
Sabiya tidak pernah merasa kurang. Ia adalah gadis bisu yang beruntung karena dicintai pria sehebat Roman.
Namun, malam ini, Sabiya melanggar kepatuhannya untuk pertama kali. Ia ingin memberikan kejutan pada suaminya, di perayaan pengangkatan Roman sebagai pemimpin tertinggi keluarga Valeriano.
Sambil memegang kotak beludru berisi pin platina dengan ukiran nama Roman, Sabiya melangkah menyusuri koridor Hotel Victoria.
Dengan wajah yang tersamar di balik syal sutra dan topi hitam, Sabiya memilih memutari hotel menuju pintu belakang. Ia sengaja menghindari anak buah Roman yang berjaga di sekitar lobi utama.
Sambil berjalan cepat, Sabiya merasakan jantungnya berdebar kencang. Bukan hanya karena ia melanggar perintah untuk tetap diam di rumah, tetapi karena ia membawa hadiah yang jauh lebih besar dari sekadar perhiasan.
Setahun terakhir, Sabiya menjalani terapi wicara yang menyiksa secara diam-diam.
Dokter Evelyn, seorang spesialis terapi langka di kota Aldena, terkejut saat Sabiya menuliskan permintaannya.
"Anda ingin mencoba terapi pita suara? Tapi, prosesnya akan sangat menyakitkan."
Sabiya menulis : “Saya tidak peduli. Saya ingin suami saya mendengar suara saya.”
Akhirnya, dimulailah ritual bulanan yang mengerikan. Dokter Evelyn menyuntikkan cairan kortikosteroid langsung ke pita suara Sabiya, menimbulkan rasa terbakar yang menjalar dari tenggorokan hingga ke dada.
Ada kalanya Sabiya muntah-muntah di kamar mandi, menahan tangis agar asisten rumah tangga tidak mendengar. Terkadang, ia bahkan tidak dapat menelan apa pun selain bubur dan air hangat.
Meski begitu Sabiya tetap bertahan. Setiap kali rasa sakit itu datang, ia membayangkan wajah Roman saat pertama kali mendengar suaranya. Ia yakin sang suami akan terkejut, lalu memeluknya penuh rasa haru.
Malam ini, Sabiya akhirnya bisa mengeluarkan suaranya yang telah mati selama lima belas tahun, sebagai persembahan cinta untuk Roman.
Tanpa pikir panjang, gadis itu berjalan menuju ruang private party yang terletak di lantai paling atas. Sabiya cukup mengenali seluk-beluk Hotel Victoria, karena ia dan Roman pernah merayakan ulang tahun pernikahan di sini.
Sabiya tahu di area private party, Roman tidak mengizinkan anak buahnya berkeliaran. Meski begitu, tangan kanannya tetap meremas kotak hadiah dengan gugup,
Setelah menyusuri koridor yang sepi, Sabiya akhirnya tiba di ambang pintu ruang pesta. Namun, langkahnya terhenti sejenak.
Khawatir kehadirannya akan mengganggu, Sabiya memutuskan untuk mengintip lebih dulu melalui kaca kecil yang terletak di atas pintu.
Sedikit berjinjit, ia melayangkan pandangan ke dalam ruangan.
Mata Sabiya langsung tertuju pada sosok Roman yang menjadi pusat perhatian. Namun, suaminya itu tidak duduk sendirian sebagai pemilik pesta.
Di samping Roman, ada seorang wanita cantik yang menempati kursi kehormatan. Wanita itu mengenakan gaun merah marun yang menonjolkan lekuk tubuhnya dengan sempurna.
Sabiya sempat menarik napas.
Ah, Roman mengajak Clara lagi. Wajar saja, sebab kakak tirinya itu masih berduka usai kehilangan suaminya enam bulan lalu. Roman hanya ingin menghiburnya.
Selain itu, Clara juga bekerja sebagai karyawan baru di Valeriano Corp. Tidak ada yang aneh bila dia ikut serta dalam pesta ini.
Sabiya sudah hampir mendorong pintu untuk memberi kejutan. Ia ingin Roman melihatnya di sini, melihat betapa ia berusaha keras untuk hadir di momen penting sang suami.
Akan tetapi, percakapan yang ia dengar dari dalam ruangan, membuat Sabiya membeku di tempat.
"Bersulang untuk Roman dan Clara! Pasangan paling serasi di kota Aldena!" seru Marco, rekan bisnis sekaligus teman baik Roman. “Sepertinya, takdir memang berpihak pada kalian."
Tawa riuh langsung memenuhi ruangan. Clara hanya tersenyum malu-malu, tanpa ada nada bantahan.
"Jangan bicara begitu," ucapnya lembut sambil melirik Roman, "Bagaimanapun, Roman ini adik iparku. Dia masih menikah dengan adikku, Sabiya."
"Ayolah, Clara! Untuk apa kalian membohongi diri lagi?" sela Dimitri, sahabat Roman sejak kecil. Ia menepuk bahu Roman penuh semangat.
"Jangan membuat diri kalian menderita hanya karena wanita seperti Sabiya. Kau pantas bahagia, Roman."
Ruangan menjadi hening sejenak. Roman menggenggam gelas wine-nya dengan ekspresi yang sulit dibaca.
Lutut Sabiya mendadak terasa goyah. Apa maksud perkataan teman-teman Roman itu?
"Benar," timpal Diana, adik sepupu Roman yang sejak dulu selalu bersikap sinis padanya.
"Kak Clara, kau tahu kenapa Roman tidak pernah mengajak adikmu ke pesta? Bukan karena dia bisu, tapi Roman tidak ingin orang-orang tahu kalau Sabiya adalah Nyonya Valeriano."
Air mata mulai menggenang di pelupuk mata Sabiya. Ucapan Diana kali ini telah menghantamnya seperti pukulan telak di ulu hati.
"Sampai sekarang Roman juga tidak punya anak dengan Sabiya.” Diana melanjutkan dengan nada mengejek. "Itu karena dia selalu setia padamu, Kak Clara. Roman cinta mati padamu."
Clara tampak terkejut, matanya berkaca-kaca menatap Roman. "Roman, benarkah itu?"
Marco langsung menimpali sebelum Roman sempat menjawab. "Clara, kami akan memberitahumu sebuah rahasia besar. Roman menikahi Sabiya hanya agar dia bisa dekat denganmu.”
Beberapa teman Roman mengangguk bersamaan sebagai tanda persetujuan mutlak.
"Pengorbanan Roman selama tiga tahun ini sangat banyak. Sudah saatnya kalian berdua bersatu."
Saat itu juga, rongga dada Sabiya terasa sesak. Seluruh tubuhnya menggigil, meski udara di luar tidak terlalu dingin.
Ingatan demi ingatan berhamburan di kepalanya bagaikan serpihan kaca yang retak.
Setiap senyum Roman, setiap pelukan hangat di malam hari, setiap kali ia mengatakan "Aku mencintaimu", apakah semua itu hanya bagian dari sandiwara?
Di balik pintu, Sabiya masih menunggu Roman membela dirinya. Ia menunggu Roman mengatakan bahwa semua itu bohong.
Namun, suaminya hanya terdiam, membiarkan setiap kata hinaan itu menguliti harga dirinya di depan semua orang.
Roman justru menikmati setiap detik di mana ia menjadi bahan tertawaan dan olok-olok di antara teman-temannya.
After his release, instead of going to the hospital for treatment, he came looking for me.Years ago, I had asked Ethan to bury Emma and me between the mountains and the sea, without a headstone or grave. We would slowly disappear into the earth.After so long, even I couldn't remember exactly where we were buried, yet Jack foolishly thought he could find us."Lisa... Lisa, do I still have a place in your heart?" he sobbed. "If you still care for me, please let me find you. I want to make things right..."I didn't want him to make things right.This attempt at redemption came too late. I didn't care for it.Jack wandered the mountains for three days.Too exhausted to even lift his feet, he could only drag himself forward with his arms."I understand now..." he had a sudden realization, his eyes brightening. "You must still resent me! I haven't avenged you and Emma yet—""Wait for me, wait for me!"He couldn't find me, but he easily found Vicky.After all, a woman with a face
Fortunately, he came back at just the right moment.The two had just laid entwined in the bed. I had already covered Emma's eyes, afraid they might traumatize her."You dare betray me?" Jack, already devastated, was thunderstruck."We're not in any kind of relationship, so how is this betrayal?" Vicky retorted brazenly. "Do I need your permission to date?""I fixed your face, I invested in your movie, how dare you—"The woman straightened up. "That was all your choice. I never begged you. Besides, you're broke now. You can't fund another movie for me. But Director Ares can make a dozen more!"She no longer needed Jack and was ready to kick him to the curb.Jack stared at Vicky's porcelain-like face, enraged.This was the face he had sacrificed his daughter and Lisa for!"Give me Lisa back, give me Emma back!" he shouted."You're the one who owes them, not me!" Vicky shrieked.The three of them argued back and forth, giving me a headache.Finally, when Jack picked up a knife
He was trying to use our marriage to threaten me.How ironic. A man who claimed to be a husband and father didn't even know his wife and daughter were dead.The man who should have been arranging our funerals was instead drinking merrily, without a care in the world."Did you get it? Bring the kid to see me tomorrow!"After he sent the message, a simple "OK" came in reply.It wasn't from me, but from Ethan.I followed Jack to the restaurant.Emma only wanted to stay at home and watch the strange lady, worried the latter might throw away her treasures.When Jack saw that Ethan had come to the meeting instead of me, he trembled with anger.He had always felt inferior, believing he couldn't measure up to Ethan.When Ethan became the head of the Lane family, Jack fell into a depression for quite some time.Even though I constantly emphasized that I loved him, not Ethan, he still occasionally feared that one day I would abandon everything to pursue my first love.Little did he k
Our daughter was gone, and Jack couldn't even be bothered to go to the hospital to confirm it.The recent news had given Vicky a taste of fame. She quickly capitalized on it by starting her own video channel, which had already gained 100,000 followers.She was live streaming the movie's opening ceremony.In the screen, Jack wore a carefully pressed custom suit, his hair perfectly styled, exuding confidence. He looked like he'd suddenly returned to his twenties.It was hard to imagine how he could live like this while our daughter was critically ill.As he and Vicky cut the ribbon hand in hand, I turned off the livestream and went to collect Emma's ashes.My growing little girl had been reduced to a small urn, quietly nestled in my hands.Before heading home, I received a call from an unknown number.It was Ethan.We hadn't seen each other in seven years, and our different social standings left us with little to talk about.He contacted me after seeing the flood of negative tr
If I had any life left, I would trade it for another pill without hesitation.Unfortunately, I only had four days left to live, not even enough to exchange for the cheapest item the System offered.Jack's grip was strong. I couldn't breathe at all in his hands, and my vision gradually darkened.W
After the deal, the System only gave me seven days to live and settle my affairs.On the first day, I got into a physical fight with Jack, trying to force him to return the untouched medicine.On the second day, I could only cry myself unconscious outside our daughter's hospital room, hating mysel
"Mom, is someone bullying you?" Emma asked, blinking her eyes. Her thin fingers rested in my palm, so light I could barely feel their weight."Of course not... don't be silly," I said, fighting back tears as I gently brushed her forehead.Her hair, shaved off earlier, had started to grow back. It
Jack had emptied all our bank accounts, leaving less than $200 in total balance."No money? Why don't you ask Ethan?" he said flippantly. "Isn't Emma's prolonged illness your fault anyway? Just get another pill for her, and she'll be up and running in no time, right?"Lisa, I don't know how you have t
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