Josephine Walter thought she had it all—a loving boyfriend, a promising future, and the man she was ready to spend forever with. When he proposed, her heart soared, and she said yes without hesitation. But what she didn’t know was that the man she trusted most harbored a devastating secret. A betrayal that would shatter everything she believed in and turn her world upside down. Now, faced with the heartbreaking truth and the shock of a pregnancy, Josephine must navigate a path she never imagined. What will she do when the man she loves is the one who has torn her life apart?
Lihat lebih banyakBab 1
"Hei, pria tua! Sampai kapan kau terus menghukumku begini?"
Cinta menarik sudut bibir, mengejek dirinya sendiri saat menyadari Zaki sudah mencengkeram pinggang ramping miliknya.
Zaki menyeringai kejam di ujung langkah terakhirnya, tepat di ujung sofa ruang keluarga. Kini dia berhasil mengungkung tubuh indah itu dalam kuasanya.
"Aku tidak punya waktu meladeni wanita gila sepertimu."
Penguasa dunia bisnis dengan pesona paripurna itu melempar kata-kata belati sambil terus meramas pinggang indah yang tiba-tiba menjadi pusat perhatiannya saat dia muncul di pintu ketika pulang kerja.
"Tapi jika kau menginginkannya, mari kita lakukan."
Bahkan dingin udara malam disertai hujan dan petir menggelegar di luar saat ini, tak mampu meredam panasnya aura yang terpancar dari wajah tanpa ekspresi tersebut.
Masalah Zaki cuma satu. Selama ini, pemilik bibir berbentuk hati itu mengaku masih belum bisa move on dari masa lalunya.
"Akh! Kau bahkan tidak pernah bersikap lembut padaku."
Saat ini, pikirannya teralih ke malam pertama pernikahan mereka yang berujung zonk.
"Kau hanya istri di atas kertas dan tak bisa memiliki hatiku. Jadi berhenti berharap kalau aku akan menyentuhmu dengan lembut."
Kalimat penolakan penuh napsu kala itu berakhir dengan penyiksaan raga yang meluluhlantakkan ego wanitanya. Lebih parah lagi, Zaki dengan angkuh melolongkan nama seseorang di sela hangover yang mendera hingga memicu rasa trauma mendalam di hatinya.
"Hanya dia yang pantas kusebut namanya karena hati ini, denyut nadi ini, juga detak napas ini, semua miliknya."
Memalukan, bukan? Hingga Cinta memilih menyudahi foreplay sebelum Zaki bertindak lebih jauh.
Untung Cinta belum sepenuhnya mempersiapkan diri dengan ritual parfum pemikat atau bahkan memakai baju kurang bahan yang disodorkan sahabat terbaik kepadanya sehari sebelum pernikahan. Kalau tidak, entahlah. Barangkali malam itu, dia akan lebih dipermalukan lagi oleh Zaki sampai lupa caranya bernapas.
Mengingat itu, wanita bertubuh indah ini ingin sekali menenggelamkan diri ke dasar bumi yang terdalam.
"Sial!" umpatnya merasa tak mampu membuang jauh bayangan luka yang ditorehkan hingga membekas ke jiwa maupun raga.
Bukan tanpa alasan, pria bercambang halus, bertemperamen tinggi itu kerap menyakitinya dalam kondisi apapun. Terhitung setahun mereka menikah, sepanjang itu pula dia mendapat perlakuan kasar dari Zaki.
"Dia bahkan tak punya hati."
Penyiksaan demi penyiksaan membuat Cinta sendiri berasumsi kalau dalam diri suaminya terdapat bibit sadistik yang tidak bisa dipandang sebelah mata.
Cinta memilih menarik diri saat mendapat kesempatan. Dengan cepat dia menghindar sambil memulai aksinya menyambut kepulangan Zaki, mencoba menahan diri agar tetap bersikap manis di depan pria bergelar suami tersebut meski hati dan pikirannya berbanding terbalik.
"Selamat datang, Suamiku," sapanya lembut, namun dalam hati justru terbahak sumbang. 'Sampai kapan ini berakhir?' Jujur, dia sudah lelah dengan segala kepalsuan.
"Di mana Farhan?" Alih-alih menjawab, Zaki malah menanyakan keberadaan sepupu jauhnya yang baru pulang dari luar negeri.
Sepenting itukah posisi Farhan sampai dirinya sendiri diabaikan?
"Di kamar. Aku baru saja menyuruhnya beristirahat." Cinta memaksa senyum.
Zaki tidak lagi bertanya melainkan memasang aba-aba berlalu, namun Cinta sigap menahan pergelangan tangannya.
"Suamiku," panggilnya lirih.
Zaki bergeming. Matanya memandang lurus tanpa ada keinginan untuk menoleh.
"Aku tidak punya waktu meladeni hal remeh," balas Zaki datar sembari menepis pelan tangannya. "Jadi tidak perlu berpura-pura manis di depanku."
Ditelisik dari sisi manapun, kebersamaan selama ini memang tidak memberi dampak positif bagi hubungannya meski mereka selalu semeja, sekamar, seranjang, tetapi mereka tidak sehati karena tidak pernah menyatukan raga.
Cinta berdeham.
"Aku sudah melakukan semua yang kau inginkan, bahkan menjalani perintahmu dengan sepenuh hati."
Ucapannya berhasil membuat Zaki menoleh sejenak dengan ekspresi misterius, lalu memilih kembali ke posisi semula.
"Katakan apa maumu, jangan membuang waktuku."
"Tidak bisakah memberiku sedikit hak sebagai seorang istri setidaknya detik ini, Suamiku? Anggap saja demi menebus kesalahanmu di malam pertama pernikahan kita. Kau berniat menyentuhku begitu ganas, tetapi memanggil nama orang lain."
Dari samping, Cinta memandang lekat jakun yang tampak bergerak.
"Atau biarkan saja aku pergi, Zaki." Wanita tersebut memelas dan langsung mendapat tatapan miring dari suaminya.
"Kau mengancamku?"
'Sedikit,' balas Cinta dan tentunya dalam batin. "Zaki, kurasa kita perlu memperbaiki hubungan ini." Dia merengek, entahlah.
Baginya semua masih belum terlambat dan wanita ini memberanikan diri tepat di peringatan satu tahun pernikahan mereka.
"Toh ini anniversary pernikahan kita, Suamiku." Lagi, Cinta memelas. Dia merasa perlu membahasnya.
Netra mereka saling beradu. Cinta sedikit gugup, namun berupaya mengontrol suasana hatinya.
"J-jadi wajar jika aku ingin membahas tentang kita."
Tatapannya tidak beralih dari pancaran predator milik Zaki meski nyalinya menciut. Dia memang sedang ingin membaca respons dari sorot mata itu secara langsung, bukan begitu?
"Kau menginginkannya?" Zaki mengangkat salah satu sudut bibir. Cinta tertunduk menahan malu. "Baiklah, lekas persiapkan dirimu dalam lima belas menit. Waktuku tidak banyak," sindirnya membuat Cinta seketika tertegun.
"Apa tidak sebaiknya kau mandi terlebih dahulu, Suamiku? Lagi pula kita harus mengajak Farhan untuk makan malam bersama." Dia paham betul maksud sindiran Zaki, namun Cinta memilih mengikuti permainannya itu.
Zaki terbahak lalu berkata dengan datar.
"Makanya jangan menuntut sesuatu yang tidak bisa kuberikan jika tidak ingin dihukum." Ucapannya sangat menekan. Cinta terpaksa mengangguk dan berlalu cepat.
Niat awal ingin menyambut tas di tangan Zaki, sengaja diurungkan mengingat pria blasteran berambut pirang itu sama sekali tidak memberinya kesempatan untuk berbakti sebagai istri. Hal ini sempat membuat Zaki memandang kepergiannya dengan ekspresi tidak terbaca.
"Antarkan kopi ke ruang kerjaku!" Cinta hanya mengacungkan jempol tanpa menoleh. Dia terlanjur kecewa dengan sikap suaminya.
Cinta sudah siap di depan pintu memegang baki berisi dua cangkir kopi hitam dan bersiap masuk ke ruang kerja Zaki. Dengan menggunakan sisi nampan, dia mendorong pintu yang sedikit terbuka sambil melongok.
Terdengar desahan kecil dari dalam.
"Aku mencintaimu, Sayang." Mata Cinta tidak rabun, dia melihat pria itu menggerayangi dada bidang suaminya.
"Hentikan, Farhan! Ini terlarang," elak Zaki risih.
"Namaku Farah! Bukan Farhan. Kenapa?! Apa kau tidak mencintaiku lagi dan ingin membuang perasaanku begitu saja?" Farhan terlihat menarik diri dengan kesal.
"Dengar Jack, kita bisa pergi ke negara yang melegalkan hubungan ini dan ayolah! Kita menikah, lalu membangun impian bersama dan hidup bahagia di sana."
"Kau pergilah, aku akan tetap di sini karena ada istri yang patut kujaga hatinya."
"Ini tidak adil, Jack. Kau sudah berjanji untuk tetap bersamaku sampai maut memisahkan. Tapi sejak kau menikah, beraninya mengabaikanku begitu saja? Hey, sejak itu, kau membuat Farahmu ini frustrasi lalu memilih pindah ke Amerika dan sekarang kau memintaku pulang. Aku pikir kau akan merindukanku, tapi ternyata ...."
"Bukan begitu Farhan," potong Zaki cepat, namun seketika mendapat tatapan kesal dari pria tersebut.
Cinta melongo. Sejak kapan suami superior-nya lemah di depan seseorang? Otaknya berputar ligat ke memori malam pertama pernikahan mereka saat Zaki mabuk berat dan mulai mencumbunya.
"Farahdina!" Nama itu yang dilolongkan Zaki dengan penuh hasrat dan penghayatan, membuat Cinta langsung menarik dari dan berlari keluar kamar membiarkan Zaki terlempar ke kasur dan akhirnya terlelap.
Pikirannya melanglang, mencerna obrolan dua makhluk berjakun di depan sana. Farhan memanggil Zaki dengan sebutan Jack lalu menamakan dirinya sendiri sebagai Farah.
"Apa Farahdina yang disebut suaminya di malam pertama itu merupakan nama lain dari Farhan? Jadi selama ini mereka berdua sepasang ...."
Kilat petir di luar kembali menggelar.
"Astaga!"
Cinta meneguk saliva kasar. Tak sadar kedua tangannya naik menutup kuping.
Tak pelak nampan digenggaman terjatuh membentur lantai menimbulkan bunyi pecahan cangkir yang keras.
Prangg!
Marcus arrived at Lion Skye Bank just in time.The very moment he stepped his foot in the bank building, he saw how everyone was looking at him like they were shocked about something.“So, he has been having sex with Josephine all along in the office?!” he heard a whisper from one of the employees whom he just walked past.But he said nothing. He walked right to the HR’s office. If any decision was made in their bank branch, there was no way it wouldn’t pass through Luke’s desk.“My goodness. Thank God you are here early,” Luke said immediately as Marcus barged into his office.He rose to his feet, tucked in his shirt more, better held Marcus’ shoulder.“When I read the email that they were going to terminate your employment with the bank, I called you several times, but your line was not reachable. What are we going to do now? Your sack letter is on my desk. Take a look.” He lied.Luke knew he was the one who gave Vivian the evidence to terminate Marcus’ employment with the bank. It w
Seeing this unknown number, Josephine called it immediately to know whom it might be. “The number you are trying to call is currently switched off. Please try again later,” she heard a robotic feminine voice sound at the other end of the phone.With this, she racked her head further, thinking about whom the caller might be. And that it was odd for a number who just called her to be switched off, right?“Or was it Marcus calling me with an unknown number?” the thought sounded in her mind immediately, but at the same time, Josephine knew Marcus's typical behavior. The text doesn’t sound like how he used to behave. But then, she doesn’t know him anymore, and he could still be the one, right?She minimized the call app and launched the Play Store app at once!In the search area, she launched her keyboard and typed “Truecaller.”Back at the bank she worked before she was sacked, she had always listened to Bianca talk about how she used the Truecaller app to fish out people who called her w
Seeing how muscular Julian was against him, Marcus stepped back. His heart raced a bit.He said nothing at this moment, and Julian said nothing as well but continued to stare dangerously at him.Knowing fully well that he could not go against this guy, Marcus awkwardly stepped away and walked into his car parked alongside the road. Hence, as he got into his car, he screamed like a frustrated man who couldn’t get what he wanted.He beat his steering wheel as if it was the one responsible for his misery. And just then,“I won’t back out like this,” he murmured.“You have my child in your stomach, and I won’t stand aside to see my child calling someone else his dad when I am still alive,” he resolved in his mind as he drove away.On the other hand, as Marcus left, Julian looked at Josephine again with his affectionate eyes.“Thank you, Julian. But you can leave now. Everything is fine now,” Josephine said to Julian, who reluctantly nodded his head.He had just reconnected with Josephine,
“You need evidence, Ms. Winters,” Human Rights Commissioner Mr. Bently said after listening to everything.Knowing she did not have evidence, she brought her hands to her jaw like a worried cow and thought about how to gather evidence against Marcus.Suddenly, a thought flashed in her mind, and just then, she said, “I will be back with evidence, Mr. Bently. Thank you for your time today.” She rose from her seat and headed out of the commissioner’s office.Marcus and Luke were friends. So, Vivian used to be friendly with Luke when they first started dating before she left him.During this time, Vivian had always noticed some signals from Luke. He often texted her on social media, asking to meet privately where Marcus wouldn’t be around or able to find out.Leveraging this, Vivian knocked on Luke’s door at his apartment.“Vi... Vivian!” Luke exclaimed.“What are you doing here?” Luke was shocked to see her as he opened the door, standing in the doorway.It had been ages since he last sa
Marcus couldn’t sleep the whole night long. He rolled from one side of the bed to the other until he rose from the bed and paced around the room.As much as Vivian’s threat was heavy on his heart, he was resolved about his child. There was no way he would let his child, his blood, go through so much of what he went through when he was a child.At morning, Marcus’s heart rose stronger and hardened like a stone. It did not matter that Vivian threatened him. He was going to do what he had in his heart.Immediately, he got to the bathroom and had a nice bath. Then he dressed in a nice blue suit and an Italian brown leather shoe, looking as affluent as he always looked.With this, he picked his phone on top of the stool near his bed and dialed his office secretary’s number.As soon as she picked up,“I won’t be coming to work today. Fix my appointments for later,” he said.“Yes, sir,” the secretary answered from the other end of the phone. And just then, he put the phone into his pocket, g
Josephine and Julian sat by a table in one of the most expensive restaurants in Riversideloco.The chandelier light glowed everywhere. The marble floor, along with the neatly arranged tables and chairs, was beautifully decorated, adding to the grandeur of the restaurant.At first, Josephine was hesitant about Julian taking her to this particular restaurant because she knew how expensive it was. It had been costly since they were children, and by now, the prices for food and drinks would have only skyrocketed.“Anything for you, Josephine,” Julian had said as he drove her to the restaurant in his Lamborghini, stepping out with an air of confidence.Now at the table, he leaned forward slightly, his smile soft and warm. “So, tell me, how have you been doing?”Before Josephine could answer, a waiter approached, carrying their order on a silver tray.As the waiter placed the tray on their table, Josephine’s eyes fell on a bottle of red wine, two large pieces of chicken legs, and some appet
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