Karma

Sahabatku yang selalu bersikeras menolak pernikahan, justru saat menemaniku melakukan program bayi tabung malah merebut sperma donor yang sudah kupilih. Saat itu aku langsung tahu, dia juga sudah terlahir kembali. Di kehidupan sebelumnya, aku ingin punya seorang bayi blasteran, jadi aku memilih melakukan bayi tabung. Sahabatku waktu itu bahkan mengejekku, katanya aku hanya sedang membantu orang asing membesarkan anak, benar-benar bodoh. Tapi siapa sangka, setengah bulan kemudian aku justru dijemput ke keluarga Kerajaan Duraya. Ternyata sperma donor yang kupilih adalah milik seorang pangeran Kerajaan Duraya berdarah campuran dari delapan negara. Bukan hanya hendak menikahiku sebagai putri mahkota, dia juga berjanji menjadikan anak kami sebagai pewaris kerajaan. Aku dan anakku mendapat perhatian penuh dari seluruh keluarga kerajaan, perhiasan yang menumpuk di tubuhku bahkan hampir membuatku tidak kuat menahannya. Sebaliknya, sahabatku justru karena terlalu menyanjung feminisme, akhirnya menyinggung mitra kerja, dipecat dari perusahaan, lalu diblokir di seluruh industri. Saat pesta seratus hari putraku, dia menggunakan seluruh tabungannya untuk membeli tiket pesawat dan datang menemuiku. Namun ketika aku menyambutnya, dia malah membunuh putraku dengan menjatuhkannya, lalu menyiramkan asam sulfat ke tubuhku. "Kenapa kamu bisa seberuntung itu? Dasar perempuan jalang, kamu tidak pantas!" Ketika membuka mata lagi, aku sudah kembali ke hari saat aku mengajaknya menemaniku melakukan bayi tabung.

Josua memakai pakaian pengiring pria datang bergandengan tangan dengan Hani di pesta pernikahan, sementara jas pengantin pria ditelantarkan ke sofa. "Josua, hari ini 'kan hari pernikahan ki ..." "Neti!" Josua memotong pembicaraanku dan tatapannya penuh dengan peringatan. "Aku rasa kau tahu apa saja yang boleh dibicarakan. Berlapang dadalah. Jangan sampai aku membencimu." Aku tersenyum pahit. Oleh karena cinta pertama Josua hilang ingatan, semua orang bermain permainan mencari ingatan. Jadi, kami tidak diperbolehkan untuk merangsangnya. Demi menghiburku, Josua berjalan ke depan dan memelukku, lalu berbisik, "Neti, kau bisa memahamiku, 'kan?" Aku menunduk setuju, lalu berpaling menikah dengan pengiring pria sesungguhnya. Kemudian, saat aku hamil dan berbelanja di mal, Josua malah menghentikanku dan menangis, "Neti, bukankah kita sedang berakting? Kenapa kau hamil?"

I had just given birth when the country sent me on a secret mission that kept me undercover for seven years. When it finally ended, I came home on leave. I was eager to see my husband and children, whom I had missed every single day. However, the moment my car stopped at the gate, I saw my two children—my most precious treasures—being shoved down the steps by a woman. They tumbled hard, and they were covered in bruises. The next second, three snarling wolfhounds were released from the house, and they pounced on the children with bared teeth. Fury surged through me, and I charged forward. I got the dogs away with a few swift kicks and punches. Amid the animals’ pitiful howls, my ten-year-old son instinctively shielded his sister. His young face was pale with fear. Meanwhile, my eight-year-old daughter snapped out of her daze and trembled as she urged me to leave. “Miss, run! You hurt her dogs, and if Dad finds out, he won’t let you get away with it!” I forced down my anger and gently said, “She set the dogs on you first. Even if your dad were here, he’d protect you just like I did.” I did not expect this to make their eyes instantly fill with tears. Alarmed, I was about to ask what was wrong when a woman’s arrogant voice rang out. “You vagrant! I have a close relationship with Martin Gray, and I’m also the lady of the Gray family! “You and these two brats who dirtied my house aren’t leaving in one piece today!” I froze for a second before I took a deep breath and called my husband. “Martin, who’s this woman proclaiming to be the lady of the Gray family? Where did she come from? You’d better have a good explanation for this. And tell me, when did the house I left for John and Katy get a new owner?”

Sahabatku mengajakku ke salon kecantikan untuk perawatan wajah, dan di sanalah aku didekati oleh seorang pria muda yang tampan. Pria muda itu tinggi, tampan, punya cara yang lihai, pandai merayu, membuatku merasakan kebahagiaan menjadi seorang wanita. Aku tak peduli lagi bahwa aku masih punya pacar, dan membiarkan diriku tenggelam dalam pesona dan godaannya. Namun aku tak menyangka, di balik kelembutan itu, tersembunyi akibat yang sangat besar.

I go ice fishing with my husband, and we encounter a snowstorm and hailstorm. The mountainside villa has no sustenance and power, and he takes my down jacket to keep his former superior warm. I'm three months pregnant, and my daughter is having a high fever. However, he pushes us out of the villa to look for wild vegetables. Why? Because his former superior wants to eat them. He probably has no idea that I've come to this villa countless times to prepare his anniversary gift. Later, my daughter ends up mentally disabled from the high fever. I finally get my hands on proof of his under-the-table dealings with his former superior. I destroy him before he's promoted!

To encourage overall development, the kindergarten had asked each student to create a hand-drawn poster. My daughter Holly refused my help and insisted on doing it all on her own. Little did I know, most of the other children had their parents do the artwork for them. In comparison, Holly's delicate strokes were quickly dismissed. Not only was her work discarded into the trash, but her teacher also called her out in the parent group, criticizing her for being careless with the assignment. As I racked my brain trying to figure out how to help Holly regain her confidence in drawing, I was surprised to see Holly's artwork among the winning entries in the state-level children's art competition. But the signature wasn't hers—it belonged to another student from her class.

"Hi there, I'd like to emigrate." Christina stood at the counter and handed over the neatly prepared documents to the clerk on the other side of the glass. The clerk quickly stamped each page. The red ink spread like tiny ripples on still water. Then, without looking up, he pulled out another form and passed it back to her. "Ma'am, your paperwork will be processed in fifteen days." Christina nodded, turned on her heel, and headed for the exit. But before she could step outside, whispers trailed after her. "Did I see that right? Mrs. Waldorf is applying for emigration? Did she have a squabble with Mr. Waldorf?" "Even if they argued, would it go this far? Mr. Waldorf practically worships her. What could possibly make her leave so decisively?" "Exactly. Five years ago, their wedding was the event of the century. Even someone like me, who barely goes online, heard about it. And three years ago, after her car accident, the blood bank ran out of stock. Mr. Waldorf ignored everyone's objections and nearly drained himself to save her. Then, just last year, when she disappeared for an hour, he mobilized every media outlet worldwide to find her. Now she's leaving without a word—won't that drive him insane?" The murmurs swirled and lingered, but Christina only smiled faintly. Her expression was calm, but her eyes darkened with a bitterness that deepened with every step. Yes, she thought. Everyone knew just how much Lucien Waldorf loved her.

My daughter hid inside the cabinet, her trembling hands dialing her father—James, the Alpha of our pack. "Mommy's bleeding a lot. Please, come back and save her," she pleaded. "I'm busy. Don't bother me," James said coldly. "If she's going to die, make sure she does it far away." As he wished, I never bothered him again. Because I really did die, right in front of our wedding photo. When he found out, he went mad, completely mad.

En el instante en que explotó el laboratorio, Leonardo González corrió desesperado hacia la zona más alejada, donde se encontraba Victoria López, y la protegió con su cuerpo sin dudarlo. Cuando cesó la explosión, lo primero que hizo fue cargarla en brazos al hospital. Ni siquiera miró a la que yacía en el suelo, empapada en sangre—yo. Porque esa chica a la que él había criado durante dieciocho años, Victoria, ya le había ocupado el corazón por completo. Ya no había espacio para nadie más. Fui yo quien sobrevivió gracias a unos colegas que me llevaron al hospital. Tras salir de cuidados intensivos, con los ojos hinchados de tanto llorar, llamé a mi mentor. —Profesor, ya lo decidí. Acepto unirme al proyecto confidencial. No importa que partamos en un mes ni que no pueda contactar a nadie durante cinco años. Ese mes estaba destinado a ser el de mi boda soñada. Pero ya no quiero casarme. Ya no.

"Mrs. Gardner, are you sure you want to hire our team to stage a fire and fake your death in ten days?" Camellia Shaw paused for a moment. Just as she was about to reply to the message, a video call suddenly popped up. "Camellia, look! Andres is spending a fortune on you again!" The video was of an auction in progress. At the front, a man of striking elegance and charm was decisively bidding on several antique collectibles worth hundreds of millions. The crowd was already abuzz with excitement. "Mr. Gardner is so good to his wife! He bought all these antiques just to make her smile!" "$400 million is nothing! I heard Mr. Gardner even built her a private estate and named it Eterna Haven. Just the name alone is proof of how much he loves her." A wealthy businessman nearby sneered. "It's all for show. Who knows what he's really like behind closed doors?" That comment immediately sparked a wave of backlash. Many argued back, talking about how devoted Andres Gardner was to his wife. As she listened to their murmurs, Camellia forced a bitter smile.