LOGINHe didn't ask for a wife. He certainly didn't want one but when she left, he realized she was everything he. Someone he couldn't live without. After a brutal heartbreak and betrayal at twenty, Zale shut his heart on love. It became detestable to him. Emotionally wrecked, distant and cold, he returns home only to discover a big surprise, one that broke him more. His parents handpicked a wife for him. To him, Isla is nothing more than a gold digger and a stranger under his roof. He made it clear to her. Do nothing, expect nothing. Isla tries to make it work, but Zale meets her efforts and kindness with silence and eventually cruelty. When the weight of rejection became unbearable, she walks away. But her absence haunts him, overwhelmed by an ache he can't explain and a familiar feeling, he had buried for so long. The heart he had carefully guarded begins to crumble. He was no longer a man who didn't care. He is now the man desperate to get back the gem he trashed. But when he finds her... Will she still be his love? Or let him suffer like she did, with no mercy?
View More"Maaf, Nona Jasmine. Kami membutuhkan persetujuan dan pembayaran dalam waktu tiga hari. Jika tidak, kami tidak bisa melakukan tindakan medis lebih lanjut untuk Nenek Anda."
Suara seorang petugas kasir rumah sakit RSUP Candra Mulia terdengar tegas.
Jasmine berdiri kaku, memandang tagihan medis yang terasa seperti bom waktu di tangannya.
"Tiga hari?" gumamnya, hampir tidak percaya.
"Benar, kondisi pasien sangat kritis. Operasi katup jantung harus dilakukan segera. Kalau tidak, risiko gagal jantung akut meningkat," tambah wanita di balik meja dengan nada profesional tetapi dingin.
Jasmine hanya bisa mengangguk perlahan, menggenggam tagihan itu erat-erat. Langkah kakinya lemah saat meninggalkan loket pembayaran.
’Tiga hari... Bagaimana aku bisa mendapatkan uang sebanyak itu? Tuhan, aku bahkan tidak tahu harus mulai dari mana.’ Jasmine mendesah panjang, tangan gemetar saat meremas tagihan di pangkuannya.
Matanya menerawang, mengingat masa kecilnya. "Aku cuma gadis desa dari Cipta Mandala. Dari dulu, Nenek yang selalu mendukungku. Beliau yang mengajarkan aku untuk tidak menyerah, untuk terus belajar meski kami tidak punya apa-apa." Jasmine tersenyum samar, tetapi senyuman itu segera memudar.
"Nenek Cahaya sudah menggantikan posisi kedua orang tuaku yang meninggal saat aku masih 14 tahun. Tanpa beliau, aku mungkin tidak akan ada di sini hari ini. Tapi sekarang..." Jasmine melirik kertas tagihan di tangannya. "...aku bahkan tidak mampu menyelamatkan hidup beliau."
Pikirannya melayang ke perjuangannya selama ini. "Aku sudah mencoba sebaik mungkin. Berkuliah di Universitas Negeri Artaloka dengan beasiswa 50% adalah impian besar yang akhirnya bisa aku raih. Tapi itu hanya menutupi sebagian biaya. Sisanya, aku masih harus bekerja paruh waktu di toko Zora." Jasmine menghela napas berat.
"Rasanya tidak cukup. Tidak pernah cukup. Apa yang harus aku lakukan? Tuhan, tolong beri aku jalan..." Pandangan Jasmine jatuh pada ponselnya.
Jasmine berjalan lunglai ke taman kecil di halaman rumah sakit, mencoba meredakan pikirannya yang berkecamuk. Duduk di salah satu bangku kayu, Jasmine memandang kosong ke depan.
Ponselnya bergetar. Sebuah notifikasi pesan dari Universitas Negeri Artaloka muncul di layar:
"Kepada Saudari Jasmine Ayu Kartika. Tunggakan pembayaran uang kuliah sebesar Rp 20 juta harus segera dilunasi dalam tiga hari. Jika tidak, status Anda sebagai mahasiswa akan dicabut."
Jasmine mendesah panjang. "Dari mana aku bisa mendapatkan Rp 270 juta dalam waktu sesingkat itu?" bisiknya, suara kecilnya nyaris tenggelam oleh kebisingan di sekitarnya.
Jasmine sudah mencoba segalanya, menghubungi kerabat, teman, bahkan memikirkan untuk menjual barang-barang milik neneknya. Tapi tidak ada yang bisa membantunya.
Malam itu, Jasmine kembali ke rumah sakit setelah pulang untuk menenangkan diri. Langkahnya terasa berat memasuki ruang ICU, tempat neneknya, Cahaya Dewi, terbaring lemah dengan selang infus dan monitor yang berdetak pelan.
Seorang perawat yang sedang memeriksa kondisi neneknya menoleh, memberikan senyuman kecil yang sopan. “Nona Jasmine, Anda kembali?”
Jasmine mengangguk pelan. “Bagaimana kondisi Nenek saya, Sus?” tanyanya dengan suara yang nyaris bergetar.
Perawat itu menyelesaikan catatannya di papan monitoring sebelum menjawab. “Kondisi tekanan darah beliau masih tidak stabil. Kami terus memantau, tetapi jantung beliau semakin melemah. Operasi memang satu-satunya jalan, dan itu harus segera dilakukan.”
Mendengar penjelasan itu, Jasmine merasa tubuhnya hampir limbung. “Apakah... apakah ada kemungkinan lain? Kalau operasi ditunda sedikit saja, apakah Nenek masih bisa bertahan?”
Perawat itu menatap Jasmine dengan penuh simpati. “Maaf, Nona. Operasi ini bukan hanya tentang bertahan. Semakin lama ditunda, semakin tinggi risiko gagal jantung total. Waktu adalah hal yang sangat penting dalam kasus ini.”
Jasmine menggigit bibirnya, mencoba menahan air mata. “Saya... saya akan mencari cara. Tolong, pastikan Nenek saya tetap dalam pengawasan terbaik sampai saat itu tiba.”
“Kami akan melakukan yang terbaik, Nona Jasmine. Tapi, kami juga membutuhkan persetujuan secepatnya untuk tindakan medis berikutnya,” ujar perawat itu lembut, lalu pamit meninggalkan ruangan.
Jasmine mendekati ranjang neneknya, duduk di kursi kecil di sisi tempat tidur. Dia menggenggam tangan keriput Cahaya Dewi, yang terasa dingin di kulitnya.
“Nek, Jasmine janji akan cari cara. Jasmine nggak akan biarkan Nenek pergi. Jasmine nggak akan menyerah, meskipun semuanya terasa berat sekali.” Suaranya serak, tetapi Jasmine terus berbicara, seolah-olah neneknya bisa mendengar.
Monitor di sebelah ranjang berbunyi pelan, menjadi latar suara di tengah keheningan malam. Jasmine menghela napas dalam-dalam, mencoba mengusir rasa takut yang menyelimuti hatinya.
"Tuhan, aku harus apa? Waktu terus berjalan, dan aku tidak tahu apakah aku bisa menyelamatkan beliau. Tolong, berikan aku jalan.” Air matanya jatuh, tanpa Jasmine sadari.
ZALE POVI raised my head when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I groaned, returning my gaze back to the laptop."Hello sir, I came to inform you that I'll be clocking out now," Evan, my secretary, announced."Why?" I hissed. Why would he clock out when it's not yet close of business?I didn't get a response, so I looked at him, furrowing a brow."I.. I don't understand, sir," he murmured.Why am I surrounded by dumb people lately? "What's the time Evan?"I watched him check his wristwatch. "It's past 11 p.m" he said.Wait, how? I've only done a small portion of my work. Turning on my phone, it was indeed twenty minutes past eleven."You can go," I grumbled, and he rushed out like I was about to hurt him or something.I didn't know it was this late. After I returned from my parents’ house, I came directly to the office as I didn't see the need to drop by at home.Shortly after I got to New York, mom blew up my phone with tons of calls and messages, so I had to switch it off.I
ISLA POVWe all watched as Zale stormed off. I sat with my head hung low, trying to hide the tears that fell off my eyes.I knew he won’t be thrilled about the marriage when he finds out but I didn't expect him to be this angry either.I pinched myself, wishing this was all a terrible nightmare, but it wasn't.Yesterday was a rollercoaster. His accusations made me mad, and I had to defend myself. To prove that I'm not weak.Married to him meant I would move in with him and I had prepared myself, but seeing how he views me, how am I supposed to live with a man that hates me?It would sound ridiculous that I agreed to marry him because I've liked him since the first day I saw him.Calling me a gold digger might be harsh, but is not entirely reasonable."Isla?" I jolted when I felt a pat on my shoulder. I wiped my tears away and wore a fake smile that barely reached my eyes."What are you thinking about, dear? I've been calling you for a while now," she said, looking at me with worried f
ZALE POVI stopped typing on my laptop when my eyes started to hurt. Groaning, I closed my eyes.Ever since the argument with that girl, I had buried myself in work. To block out her pretentious voice, my parents' threat and the unending anger raging inside of me.My gaze shifted to the wall clock, and it was past midnight. Sleep had eluded me. The luxury of tranquility was beyond reach.For years, I had managed the storm, but now. It had become chaotic. No matter how much I try to understand why my parents did what they did, nothing made sense.Unless she manipulated them, I don't see why they chose her. As unreasonable as it sounds, my father threatened to strip me of my inheritance if I divorce her.But no matter what, I'll make her suffer so badly that she will divorce me instead. Good thing I don't need anything from her.I see through the facade she's putting on. All I see is a pretentious, greedy, and manipulative gold digger. Else, why would she agree to marry a man that you k
ISLA POVI hummed along with the song as I swirled happily. After all, my longtime crush turned husband was finally coming back home.After freshening up, I wore a red floral dress that hugged my curves perfectly. My makeup was light and I brushed down my wavy strawberry blonde hair.A knock on the door and I granted whoever it was permission to come in. "Good morning ma'am Isla," a junior maid greeted, flashing me a cheeky smile.I sighed, "good morning Kiara and for Pete's sake, don't call me ma'am anymore. Isla is just fine.""And risk losing my job? No way!” She rolled her eyes. "You're now the daughter-in-law of the Rhodes family," she added.I shrugged, "fine. Do whatever you want.”She giggled, "thank you, madam". I opened my mouth to protest, but closed it. Shaking my head. I walked into my walk-in closet and soon came out, wearing a pair white Hermes slippers.Kiara was making the bed. She turned to me when she felt my presence, "you look beautiful ma'am. I bet Master Zale






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