3 Magical Words

When I was seven years old, my younger brother went into anaphylactic shock after sneaking a handful of peanuts. Outside the emergency room, my mother slammed my head against the wall over and over, her face twisted with rage. "If you had been watching him like you were supposed to be, this never would have happened! You should be the one with a ruptured stomach, not him!" After that, whenever my brother so much as caught a cold, my mother forced me to eat spoiled leftovers as punishment. I once prepared an elaborate feast. She flipped the entire table and made me crawl on the floor to lick it clean. When I said I wanted to study culinary arts, she poured hot oil over my hands. My father wanted to send me to vocational school to learn a trade, but my mother clutched my brother to her chest and wailed. "She destroyed her brother's health! She owes him a lifetime of service!" When I was fifteen, my brother's gluttony cost my father an important business deal. I took the blame without even being asked, and the furious client forced me to drink more than half a gallon of hard liquor. By the time I was sent home with a bleeding stomach, my father had already scolded my brother. My mother took out her anger on me instead, slapping me so hard my ears rang and my vision went dark at the edges. "You useless thing! You should’ve choked to death at that table! I get sick just looking at you!" I coughed up black blood. From my pocket, I pulled out a piece of sour candy that had gone soft and sticky. It was the only treat my mother had ever given me with a smile, back before my brother's allergic reaction. I put the candy in my mouth and swallowed it down with the taste of stomach acid. The candy was so sour it made my throat burn. Whatever came next, I just hoped I would not have to be my family’s garbage disposal again.

Everyone said I was Domenico Calvetti's most obedient woman. On our first wedding anniversary, he flirted with a pair of twins at the gambling table. He had lipstick smeared all over his shirt. I smiled and wiped it away with a silk handkerchief, but he swatted my hand aside. "Don't kill the mood." In the third year, the star performer from the club he ran showed up at my door with a gun pressed to my temple, demanding to take my place. Without flinching, I disarmed her using the technique he taught me and disposed of the body myself. Behind me, he held his new lover and laughed softly. "Lucia, you always know what to do." In the fifth year, he blew up the library my father left behind just to make his new flame, Marilena Rossetti, smile. That library was my mother's favorite spot when she was alive, and it held the only photographs of our family of three. The explosion made me the laughingstock of the city. People whispered, "Signora Calvetti can't even protect her own memories." Everyone believed I could never leave the Calvetti family or Domenico, but they forgot how this all started. Back then, he rescued me from my adoptive father and fell in love with me at first sight. He knelt and begged to marry me, swearing he would protect me from blood and pain for the rest of my life. For ten years, I held onto those empty words. At our tenth anniversary party, his hundredth mistress arrived. Alice Russo, fresh out of college, held a glass of red wine and poured it down my gown while Domenico watched. "Signora Calvetti, this dress is so old. Given your position, you should be wearing something better." Everyone at the party waited to see my humiliation. Instead, I lowered my eyes and dialed Domenico's father's number. "Father, the ten-year agreement is over. I won't be Signora Calvetti anymore."

Andrew, adalah kurir yang selalu direndahkan. Jovanka kekasihnya meninggalkannya. Karena, ia dianggap miskin. Rupanya, ia adalah pengusaha sukses yang menyamar sebagai kurir. Untuk mendapatkan cinta sejati.

Isang gabi ang naging simula ng pagbabagong hindi inaasahan sa buhay ni Elisse Marquez. Sa gitna ng sakit na dulot ng pagtataksil ng kanyang pinsan at dating kasintahan, tinanggap niya ang imbitasyon ng kanyang kaibigan na dumalo sa isang engrandeng party. Layunin niyang takasan ang kasal ng pinsan niyang sumira sa kanyang tiwala at damdamin. Sa gabing iyon, pinili niyang kalimutan muna ang lahat at magpakalunod sa saya, musika, at liwanag. Doon niya nakilala ang isang misteryosong lalaki—isang estrangherong agad niyang nakaramdam ng koneksyon. Sa kabila ng pagiging hindi magkakilala, nagbahagi sila ng isang gabi ng init, saya, at emosyon. Isang gabing hindi niya inakalang mag-iiwan ng panghabambuhay na marka. Pagkaraan ng gabing iyon, bigla na lamang nawala ang lalaki. Walang pangalan, walang bakas, at walang paraan para hanapin siya. Ngunit mas mabigat pa rito ang natuklasan ni Elisse—siya ay buntis. Sa kabila ng takot at pagkalito, pinili niyang harapin ang bagong yugto ng kanyang buhay nang mag-isa, habang patuloy na iniingatan sa alaala ang lalaking minsang nagpasaya sa kanya. Lumipas ang panahon at nagkaroon si Elisse ng pagkakataong magtrabaho bilang advisor sa isang kilalang kumpanya. Dito niya nakilala si Matteo Alvarez, isang makapangyarihang CEO na kilala sa kanyang pagiging seryoso, mainitin ang ulo, at walang oras sa pag-ibig. Sa kabila ng kanyang matigas na personalidad, may lihim siyang hinahanap—ang babaeng nakasama niya sa isang gabing hindi niya makalimutan. Hindi nila alam na ang tadhana ay muli silang pagtatagpuin—sa paraang hindi nila inaasahan, at sa panahong magbabago sa kanilang kapalaran.

Tara terbangun di ranjang pria yang tak seharusnya, dengan ingatan yang kabur dan kenyataan yang mengerikan: ia dituduh hamil oleh keluarga sendiri. Dipojokkan, dihina, bahkan ditampar oleh ayahnya, Tara tahu—ada rahasia besar yang disembunyikan, dan ia dijadikan kambing hitamnya. Ketika cinta, pengkhianatan, dan kehormatan bertabrakan, Tara harus memilih: tunduk pada tekanan... atau melawan segalanya demi kebenaran.

Dayat, Seorang Teknisi handal spesialis dalam memperbaiki elektronik ataupun kelistrikan. Menjalani kesehariannya sebagai seorang Tukang Servis panggilan dalam lingkungan sebuah komplek Elit yang rata-rata di huni oleh para Wanita dewasa kesepian. Demi bertahan hidup dan melunasi sisa hutang keluarganya, dayat harus berjuang mengambil resiko dan mencari peluang bahkan dalam lubang sesempit apapun. Godaan silih berganti, para wanita berkuasa yang haus akan sentuhan pria, membuat dayat sering kali membuat pilihan dan bertahan demi tujuannya.

Orang yang tepat di waktu yang salah adalah gambaran yang tepat untuk hubungan Edwin dan Fibi. Bagaimana tidak? Saat keduanya bersama, mereka sama-sama tak peka akan perasaan masing-masing dan terlalu nyaman dengan hubungan sahabat. Ketika akhirnya Edwin menyadari perasaannya, Fibi justru jatuh hati dan terjebak dalam hubungan merugikan dengan rekan kerjanya sendiri. Fibi disibukkan dengan hubungannya dan mengabaikan Edwin. Namun saat Edwin jauh dan kembali dekat dengan Aliyah, Fibi jadi kesal sendiri. Jadi, siapa yang diinginkan Fibi sebenarnya? Edwin, sang sahabat yang tak pernah absen berada di sisinya? Atau Kevin, rekan kerja yang kini menjelma menjadi pacarnya?

Ini kisah Diandra, seorang perempuan biasa yang terlahir dari keluarga mapan dan lulus dengan IPK 4,0. Setelah bekerja di perusahaan multinasional, ia menikah dengan Radite, pria tampan dan baik, namun setelah 16 tahun, mereka berpisah karena tak memiliki anak. Dalam kesedihan, Diandra bangkit berkat dukungan sahabatnya, Retno. Ia kembali ke kampus dan menjadi sosok berpengaruh di berbagai forum, mewujudkan harapan mendiang ayahnya agar ia lebih dari sekadar hiasan. Namun, di balik kesuksesan, Diandra merasa kesepian dan melarang orang mengetuk pintunya selama sepuluh tahun. Suatu ketika, Sabda, staf Retno, mengetuk pintunya, mengingatkan Diandra akan kerinduan akan kehadiran orang lain. Tanpa disadari, Diandra mulai jatuh cinta pada Sabda, meski terpisah 20 tahun. Ia berjuang melawan perasaannya, sementara Sabda mungkin merasakan hal yang sama.

Elena, terpaksa tinggal bersama seorang mafia yang terkenal kejam dan tidak kenal ampun sebagai jaminan demi membantu suaminya, Vincent. Alih-alih memperlakukannya dengan buruk dan kejam, Alvaro, sang mafia malah justru memperlakukan Elena dengan lembut, penuh perhatian, bahkan lebih menghargainya dibanding dengan perlakuan suaminya sendiri. Hal itu membuat Elena terjebak dalam pesona Alvaro. Apakah akhirnya hutang suami Elena lunas, dan Elena akan bebas? atau Elena malah mengaku kalah dengan pesona Alvaro?

Pada siang hari, baginya dia adalah seorang sekretaris utama yang ramah dan kompeten, tetapi di malam hari, dia menjadi pasangannya yang lembut dan menggoda. Selama tiga tahun mereka hidup saling bergantungan. Yuna selalu mengira dia memang mencintainya. Ketika hendak mengajukan lamaran, Yuna mendengar kata-katanya, "Permainan hanya berfokus pada nafsu, bukan pada perasaan. Apa kamu pikir aku akan menganggapnya serius?" Dengan hati yang hancur dan semangat yang pudar, Yuna berbalik dan pergi. Sejak saat itu, kehidupannya berubah drastis. Karirnya melesat dan dia menjadi seorang pengacara terkemuka di dunia hukum sehingga tidak ada yang berani mengganggunya. Dia dikelilingi oleh banyak pengagum yang ingin mendapatkan sosoknya. Wano pun menyesal karena tidak bertindak lebih awal, dia menahan wanita itu di dinding dengan mata memerah, "Aku, hidupku, semuanya milikmu. Menikahlah denganku, oke?" Dia tersenyum, "Maaf, bolehkah aku lewat? Kamu menghalangi jalanku."