Arti Kata Dumb

My parents made Dana and me settle it with rock-paper-scissors. Loser had to marry the Baillieu heir—the so-called "freak." I won. Then flipped the script. "Cool. I'll take Blake. Dana can have the empire." Last time? I was dumb in love with Michael—Dad's adopted golden boy. Chose the company, stayed behind, and handed Dana off to Blake Baillieu. Big mistake. Six months in, Dana was gone—wrecked by that marriage. Right before she croaked, she texted Michael blaming me. Said I lost the game and ditched the deal, dumping Blake on her. Michael? Snapped. Dude went full psycho. Turns out, he and Dana had been sneaking around for years. He dragged me behind the Baillieu estate and forced a dozen intellectually disabled men to assault me. "If it weren't for your cruelty, Dana would still be alive! You'll pay for everything she suffered!" I was over eight months pregnant—almost due. Begged him to stop. Begged for my baby's life. He didn't care. Kept ordering them to take turns. Even when my water broke, he just watched. Both my baby and I died that night. Now? I'm back. And this time, I rewrote the story. Step one: marry Blake.

“Why do you suddenly want out of this marriage? Who the fuck are you screwing, you dumb bitch?!” “I'm not screw-” I tried to explain, but he was already on me and I screamed as he dragged me up by my neck, his hand so tight on my throat I couldn’t breathe. “Who is it?!” he growled. “Who the fuck would dare!” ---- In a world absent the mate bond, alliances were formed through blood, power, and betrayal rather than fate. Makena Blackwell was born into the mafia's lowest-ranking position, promised at birth to a powerful heir in exchange for her family's survival. She was ready to marry him. But he was ready to destroy her. On the night she was meant to die, however, something impossible happened. A man rose from the icy steel trays of her father’s morgue. He was a stranger, with no memory, no name, and no pulse. And when their gazes met, fate spoke the word they never expected to hear in their lifetime, echoing so loudly in their souls it shook the very fabric of their being. “Mate!” The man the world left for dead wasn’t just anyone; he was the dread every mafia house feared, and he was hers. She was promised to a prince of power… but fate gave her the king of the dead.

My girlfriend suddenly told me she had six small beads implanted inside her, blushing as she said it was meant to please me. The next day, I made soup and brought it to her office. To my surprise, I saw her in the arms of my good friend, Henry Somerset. Henry wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice deep. "Baby, you're such a good girl. You really did the implantation as I told. My dumb friend even thought you did it for him. Do you reckon he'll lose his mind if he finds out you and I are getting married soon?" My girlfriend's voice turned cold. "This is nothing more than a marriage of convenience. I'm warning you not to let Chris find out." Henry chuckled and moved his hand downward. "Don't worry. As long as you keep me happy, I won't get Chris into trouble." After hearing all this behind the door, my entire body went cold. Clutching my phone tightly, I recalled my boss saying he would transfer me to a subsidiary company a few days ago. I no longer hesitated and sent him a text. [Boss, I'd like to be transferred to the subsidiary company in Hailborough City in three days.]

Selama setahun pernikahannya, Helena tak pernah merasakan hangatnya cinta dari Rivano. Suaminya dingin, penuh luka, dan menyimpan sisi gelap yang kelam. Bagi Rivano, cinta bukan kelembutan—melainkan kontrol, obsesi, dan dominasi. Di tengah pernikahan yang penuh luka itu, hadir Baskara—pria yang berbeda. Ia lembut, hangat, dan membuat Helena merasakan kembali arti dicintai tanpa rasa takut. Namun cinta tak pernah sesederhana itu… Mampukah Helena menemukan cinta sejati di tengah pernikahan yang rapuh? Bisakah Rivano melepaskan sisi gelapnya demi mempertahankan Helena? Atau justru cinta Helena yang perlahan berubah, berbalik arah pada Baskara? Sebuah kisah tentang cinta, luka, dan pilihan hati: Cintai aku… sebelum cinta yang lain mencintaiku.

Di usia 53 tahun, seorang ibu tunggal dihadapkan pada dilema pelik: bagaimana menjalani sisa hidupnya. Anak pertamanya telah menikah dengan wanita kaya raya, menuntut sang ibu untuk menjadi "mertua kalah" agar tak terusir, demi menjaga kesempatan tinggal sementara atau dukungan. Sementara itu, anak keduanya hidup pas-pasan di kontrakan bersama istri dan dua anaknya, dan tidak mampu menampungnya. Ibu ini berjuang untuk tetap menjadi "ibu hebat" bagi kedua anaknya yang sering salah paham, sambil menghadapi kenyataan pahit bahwa ia harus mencari jalan sendiri di tengah konflik internal dan eksternal, berbekal tekad untuk bertahan dan menemukan arti kebahagiaan dan sebuah 'rumah' yang sejati di usia senja.

Saat aku bangun dari tempat tidur Ashton, dia dengan malas menyerahkan celana dalam kepadaku dan berkata, "Aku sudah ganti kata sandi pintu. Kelak, jangan datang lagi kecuali benar-benar perlu." Aku terkejut dan secara naluriah bertanya, "Kenapa?" Dia tersenyum sambil menjawab, "Dia setuju untuk jadi pacarku kemarin. Aku takut dia melihatmu dan akan marah. Aku sudah mengejarnya begitu lama."

Lelaki itu telah memperkosa diriku. Meski statusnya adalah suami, tapi cara dia mengambilnya, sangat menghinaku. Mencabik-cabik harga diriku. Kau kira aku akan menyerah? Tidak, aku bisa melawanmu dengan caraku. Kupastikan kau bukan lagi suamiku, meski tanpa kata talak darimu. Tak akan pernah kau bisa menyentuh tubuhku, meski seujung kuku. Karena, untuk meminta talak padamu, aku tidak mau.

Nila setitik rusak susu sebelanga, begitu kata mereka. Mimpi buruk menghantui suatu desa dari masa ke masa hanya karna akibat yang dilakukan orang terdahulu. Dari generasi ke generasi, mimpi buruk akan terus melekat. Tanah sakral jadi jaminan dengan label semua tanah memiliki tuan. Kutukan dapat dilepas, hanya dengan garis keturunan yang merusak susu sebelanga mati dan terputus.

Ketika waktu mempertemukan dirimu dengan orang yang bisa membuatmu jatuh hati, mungkin itu akan menjadi moment yang membahagiakan. Namun apakah masih tetap menjadi kata bahagia, kalau hadirnya dirimu hanya jadi bahan pelampiasannya saja? Dia, orang yang bahkan belum bisa meninggalkan masa lalunya. Berniat menjalin kasih denganmu? Tidakkah kau pikirkan apa yang sebenarnya tengah terjadi?

"Sistem, aku ingin pulang." Sistem langsung menjawab, "Baik, Nona, proses pelepasan program sudah aktif. Dalam setengah bulan, kamu bisa meninggalkan tempat ini." Sistem yang biasanya mekanis itu terdiam beberapa detik, lalu bertanya dengan sedikit kebingungan. "Nona, di sini ada suami yang menyayangimu dan putra yang selalu membelamu. Bukankah ini rumahmu? Mereka adalah keluargamu." Mendengar kata keluarga, tatapan Shanon perlahan tertuju pada televisi.