Chat Intens

While inspecting the hotel owned by my family, I start to feel hungry after ordering some food at the hotel restaurant. Before the food is served, I munch on a small piece of bread roll for the time being. Suddenly, the lobby manager comes up to me and hands me a piece of paper. "Hello, sir. We do not allow outside food here. It has been 8 minutes and 30 seconds since you entered our restaurant. The total cost of your meal is 1,500 dollars. You'll be fined 1.28 million dollars." I am briefly stunned as I look at the piece of paper detailing the amount I should pay. Then, I take a picture of the piece of paper and send it to the group chat that has all the members of the board of directors. I tag my elder sister in the next message I send. "I've received a fine at the hotel owned by my family. Is this how you've increased the hotel's revenue?"

Ardi, pria mapan berusia pertengahan tiga puluhan, menjalani rumah tangga yang terlihat stabil bersama Nisa, istrinya. Namun kesehariannya di kantor berubah saat ia bertemu dengan karyawan baru yang tak lain adalah Rani—sahabat lama Nisa. Awalnya, pertemuan itu terasa biasa. Rani ramah, profesional, dan cepat beradaptasi. Tapi kedekatan kerja yang intens, lembur bersama, hingga percakapan-percakapan personal membuat Ardi merasakan sesuatu yang berbeda. Kehangatan Rani mengisi ruang kosong yang tak pernah berani ia ungkapkan kepada Nisa. Dilema pun muncul: Rani bukan hanya rekan kerja, tapi juga bagian dari lingkaran terdekat rumah tangganya. Di antara rapat, makan siang kantor, dan tatapan-tatapan yang tak terucap, Ardi harus memilih—menjaga kesetiaan pada istrinya, atau menyerah pada godaan yang bisa menghancurkan segalanya. Sementara itu, Rani menyimpan alasan tersembunyi mengapa ia kembali muncul dalam kehidupan Nisa dan Ardi. Alasan yang bisa menjadi jembatan… atau justru bara yang membakar habis persahabatan dan pernikahan.

Mey adalah seorang wanita dewasa yang berada di titik jenuh pernikahannya. Suaminya adalah sosok yang sibuk, dingin, dan tak lagi peduli pada kesejahteraan emosional Mey. Untuk pelarian, Mey rutin ke gym,tempat di mana dia bisa merasa "hidup". Di sana ia bertemu Rafael, pelatih pribadi baru yang ditugaskan untuk mendampinginya beberapa bulan ke depan. Awalnya hubungan mereka profesional. Tapi seiring waktu, ketegangan emosi dan fisik mulai tumbuh. Sentuhan kecil, bisikan, dan momen latihan yang intens perlahan membuka sisi Mey yang selama ini terpendam. Suatu malam, saat hatinya lelah dan tubuhnya butuh pelukan yang tak lagi ia dapat di rumah, Mey terjerumus pada keputusan yang tak pernah ia rencanakan bersama Rafael. Tapi cinta mereka tidak berjalan mudah. Ada banyak hal tak terucap, rasa bersalah, dan luka yang tak selesai. Sampai akhirnya Mey harus memilih: kembali ke hidup yang dingin namun “aman”, atau membuka jalan baru yang mungkin lebih jujur, meski penuh resiko.

Suddenly Zeva Adelia, a freelance photographer, got a client who expressed his interest in her after spending a day together on the first day they met. However, without clarifying what their relationship was and only introducing his name as Zero, the next day Zero immediately returned to his country. He left only a trail of his handmade sketch of Zeva's face and a tiny letter asking Zeva to keep her heart's loyalty to him only. Strangely enough, by only communicating via chat, even without video or phone calls, Zeva feels that Zero has succeeded in conquering her heart. Then, can Zeva undergo a status-less relationship and a long-distance relationship with Zero? How long can Zeva endure waiting for Zero to come back for her? Also, how much does Zeva trust Zero's loyalty to her, when there's another girl like 24/7 beside Zero?

I secured a big deal for the company and was promoted to manager. However, I overheard my boss' secretary gossiping in the pantry, saying that I was brainless and only got where I was by using my body. I was so angry that I wanted to report it to the police. Surprisingly, her husband stopped me and forced his wife to bow and apologize to me, begging for forgiveness. Things got worse on the next day. Someone shared my inappropriate photos in the company group chat along with records of me supposedly checking into a hotel with a man. My colleagues looked at me with contempt, as if they all knew what was happening but refused to speak up. Even my boss fired me, saying I had moral issues. My husband immediately divorced me when he found out, took our daughter away, and left me with nothing. Neighbors pointed fingers and whispered about me. I was so overwhelmed that I lost my senses and was killed by a car crash. When I opened my eyes, I returned to the day I was promoted.

A post accusing me of feeding my employees free lunches worse than pig feed goes viral online. However, none of them know that the daily free lunches are all catered from a five-star hotel at 100 dollars per head. The entire internet goes crazy, calling me names and accusing me of being an evil boss. Even my co-founder, Dustin Jager, texts me and says, "Maybe we should go with what the employees want and change it to a meal allowance plan instead." I harden my heart and send out a company-wide announcement. "In response to everyone's pursuit of healthy eating and the right to choose their own lunches, the company has decided to discontinue the free lunch program. "A meal reimbursement plan will be introduced instead, effective immediately, with a daily limit of 20 dollars per person per day. All reimbursements will be calculated at the end of the month with the presentation of valid receipts." As soon as the announcement is made, the company's chat groups immediately go berserk.

At three months pregnant, I was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. My husband, a doctor, was overwhelmed with worry, pulling every string he could to arrange surgery and remove the baby. "As long as you're okay, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have our own child. We can always adopt. I can't lose you, Evelyn!" Heartbroken, I blamed myself for being useless, for failing to carry our child, and for disappointing my husband. But then, I accidentally saw his chat messages with another woman on the phone. "Don’t worry, I already told her she had an ectopic pregnancy." "I’ll have her sign the adoption papers soon, then find a way to bring you into our home." "Asher is my only son. I will make sure he inherits everything I have!" That was when I realized that the husband I loved so deeply had long since built another family behind my back.

Enam tahun lalu, Azalea Rosela Adhyasa (Zea) ditinggalkan. Arkan Elvano Akmal, lelaki yang berlutut melamarnya di tepi pantai, menghilang tanpa kabar, membawa serta semua janji masa depan. Zea berjuang keras untuk bangkit, memilih karier sebagai perisai dari hati yang hancur. Tepat saat ia merasa sudah menemukan 'closure' dan ketenangan, Arkan kembali. Dia muncul sebagai klien utamanya: lebih matang, lebih mapan, dan... sama sekali tidak mengenalinya. Arkan, yang kini ditemani tunangan yang posesif, memperlakukan Zea hanya sebagai eksekutif pemasaran profesional. Sementara Zea berusaha keras menolak tarikan masa lalu demi kariernya, tunangan Arkan, Naya, mulai melihat ancaman. Sebuah pesan singkat dari Zea, yang hanya tersimpan sebagai 'Z' dengan emotikon hati putih di ponsel Arkan, membuat Naya menyadari, bahwa ingatan Arkan mungkin tidak 'hilang' sepenuhnya, hanya tertidur. Mampukah Zea melepaskan cintanya yang kembali datang tanpa membawa ingatan? Atau haruskah ia berdiri di sana, menunggu lelaki yang ia cintai untuk mengingatnya kembali di tengah permainan Naya yang semakin intens?

Ikakasal na ang pinakapopular na babae sa amin noong high school. Inimbitahan niya ang lahat sa aming klase para sa kaniyang kasal. Gusto kong kumilos na parang hindi ko nakita ang message na ipinadala niya sa akin pero walang tigil niya akong tinag sa group chat. “Nagkunwari kang mayaman gaya ko noong high school, pero hindi kita masisisi sa ginawa mo. Sa totoo lang, iniimbitahan kita sa kasal ko bukas para makita mo kung paano maging isang tunay na mayaman.” Agad na nagsalita ang iba naming mga kaklase. “Napakabait mo talaga, Haley. Kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung paano mo nagawang pakasalan ang isang miyembro ng pamilya Baumer. Hindi ako makapaniwala na mapapatawad mo ang isang materialistic na kagaya ni Emma!” “Ano ba ang deserve ng isang kagaya ni Emma Larkin para makaattend sa kasal ni Haley? Masyado siyang mayabang.” Habang tumitindi ang mga pangiinsulto, umabante si Haley Stockwell para mapanatili ang kapayapaan sa chat. “Sige na, kalimutan na natin ang mga hindi maganda nating nakaraan. Hindi na ako naaapektuhan sa mga ito dahil masyado nang matagal mula noong mangyari ang mga iyon. Anyway, huwag na tayong maghinanakit kay Emma dahil masyado na itong mahirap at pangit.” Walang tigil na umulan ang mga papuri sa kaniya ng lahat sa group chat habang tinatawag siya ng ilan sa amin na mabait at inosente. Napasinghal ako sa aking nakita. Si Haley ang babaeng nagkukunwaring mayaman sa amin—ako ang tunay na tagapagmana ng isang mayamang pamilya pero pinalabas pa rin niya na sinungaling ako. Ginawa niya akong target ng mga pangiinsulto ng lahat. Tiningnan ko ang digital wedding invitation para makitang gaganapin sa aking villa ang kaniyang kasal. Mukha ring pamilyar ang kaniyang groom—hindi ba’t ito ang driver ng aking asawa? Ngumiti ako nang maisip ko ang mangyayari. Sumagot ako sa chat ng, “Sige! Kailangan kong umattend ng kasal mo!”

Bagaimana jadinya kalau seorang juragan kaya dan lintah darat adalah penculik gadis di bawah umur sebagai jaminan atas hutang-hutang kakaknya. Sekaligus juragan kaya itu juga yang sudah membeli kegadisan sang kakak dengan cek 100 juta demi menebus adiknya. Dia adalah Daiva Gayatri Maheswari, seorang pekerja Cafe restoran yang harus merelakan kegadisannya dibeli seorang juragan kaya bernama Keyko Khayang Gumelar, dengan cek 100 juta yang ternyata juga penculik adiknya itu. Dari situ Daiva selalu berinteraksi dengan Keyko dan berselisih paham. Dari setiap pertemuannya yang intens itu ternyata menimbulkan percikan api asmara diantara mereka. Bagaimanakah kisah selanjutnya Daiva dan Keyko kalau pada kenyataannya kisah asmara mereka tidak semulus yang mereka bayangkan. Banyak konflik yang mewarnai kisah cinta mereka bermula dari orang tua Keyko yang mengetahui bahwa Daiva pernah menjual kevirginannya pada sang juragan dan dengan kedatangan cinta sejatinya sang juragan kaya. Akankah hubungan mereka akan berlanjut atau kah hubungan yang baru saja di bangun kandas di tengah jalan? Ikuti terus di sini kisahnya, FATAMORGANA.