Kata-kata Saat Down

Pada hari ibu mertuaku didiagnosis kanker rahim, dia membawa koper dan pindah ke rumahku. "Ibu nggak punya banyak waktu lagi, hampir nggak ada harapan," dia terisak, "Kalau kalian usir Ibu, kalian bukan manusia." Aku melihat suamiku yang diam tanpa kata, lalu beralih ke putraku yang selama ini kubesarkan dengan penuh kasih. "Kalian mau bilang apa?" Suamiku yang diam itu tampak muram, lalu menarik tanganku. "Soal waktu pasca melahirkan itu, mau kamu ingat sampai kapan? Ibu sudah seperti ini." Putraku juga ikut mendukung, "Nenek hampir tiada, merawatnya di masa tua itu kewajiban kita." Aku tersenyum menatap suami dan putraku. "Kalau begitu, silakan kalian yang merawat."

Suci masih menatap Nilam lurus. “Semua gadis yang diinginkannya akan sulit lepas. Mereka pasti menghilang. Kamu bisa jadi korban selanjutnya,” ceracau gadis itu dengan bibir bergetar. “Aku? Korban siapa? Apa maksudmu, Ci? Aku nggak paham.” Nilam terus bertanya bersamaan dengan jantungnya mulai berdebar. “Ki Arya ....” Suci bergumam, setengah berbisik. Sorot matanya berkilat aneh.

Saat cinta mematikan logika, aku menganggap Shanti adalah sebaik-baik istri. Tapi, ternyata dia tega berbuat zalim di belakangku. Sepasang penumpang yang memesan taksiku rupanya adalah istriku sendiri bersama dengan selingkuhannya. Aku marah. Marah sekali, merasa terhina dan harga diriku seperti ditelanjangi. Aku merencanakan sesuatu untuk membuat peringatan. Tapi ragu, karena ada hati yang harus dilindungi. Apa yang akan aku katakan pada Fikri, anak semata wayang kami tentang hubungan kami nanti?

I sponsored Emily Fagan from an underprivileged background just to help her get through school. She was good-looking but wasn't exactly the brightest. Despite my warning not to tamper with my things, she slipped stimulants into my water bottle. Thanks to her, I was accused of cheating in the swimming competition. Our team's score was nullified. As for me, I was banned from competing for life and kicked out of college. When I confronted her, she cried pitifully, "Julie, I just wanted you to win. I didn't know that'd happen." My boyfriend, Elijah Strauss, held her and comforted her. He even snapped at me, claiming, "Em had good intentions. Why are you giving her a hard time?" Crushed, I shut myself in at home. Feeling sorry, she and Elijah visited me and brought along some vodka as an apology. After I took ten shots, I asked her to buy some over-the-counter pain relievers for my splitting headache. Little did I know that she'd make me take a dangerous dose of Ibuprofen mixed with alcohol. The bleeding in my stomach was what killed me. Emily looked pitifully remorseful at the hospital. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't even tell what I shouldn't have given her…" During the police interrogation, my boyfriend gave false testimony to protect her. He accused me of taking my own life by mixing Ibuprofen and alcohol because I couldn't handle the mental stress from cheating in the competition. When I reopened my eyes, I found out that I was transported to the day before the competition.

Bukankah tolok ukur sebuah kekayaan bukan dilihat dari seberapa banyak perhiasan yang dipakai? Maya, pendatang baru di Perumahan Citra Kencana disindir habis-habisan oleh para tetangganya karena datang ke Acara Hajatan tanpa menggunakan perhiasan. Banyak yang mengira jika suami Maya adalah pekerja cuci piring di Restoran Cempaka, Restoran yang jaraknya lumayan dekat dengan Perumahan tempat ia tinggal. Karena sedang mengurus pembangunan cabang Restoran yang baru, Abian-- suami Maya meminta Sang Istri untuk datang ke Restoran Cempaka dan mencari tahu apakah benar Restoran yang ia amanah kan pada Kepala Restoran baru bernama Satria itu sedang mengalami kebangkrutan? Maya kaget saat sampai di dalam Restoran. Satria yang ternyata suami dari tetangganya yang bernama Eti itu tidak mengenal dirinya sebagai istri Abian. Bahkan suami istri itu mengusir Maya dan mengira Maya adalah istri dari tukang cuci piring di Restoran. Maya direndahkan, dihina halu, diusir dan diperlakukan tidak baik. Bagaimana kelanjutan ceritanya? Apakah Maya akan diam saja diperlakukan semena-mena oleh bawahan suaminya?

Aku terkejut menemukan istriku yang sedang hamil, meregang nyawa sendirian di rumah ketika aku sedang bercumbu dengan perempuan lain. Kini, apa yang harus aku lakukan? Haruskah aku menyesal?

Shanaya hampir meninggal di meja operasi akibat pendarahan hebat dari kehamilan ektopik. Namun, suaminya malah merayakan ulang tahun selingkuhannya dengan mewah. Dalam empat tahun pernikahan, Shanaya sangat merendah dan tidak peduli pada harga dirinya. Akan tetapi, dia tetap tidak mampu memenangkan hati suaminya. Hingga dia melihat suaminya memanjakan dan melindungi putri musuhnya itu dengan sepenuh hati, dia akhirnya menyerah dan pergi dengan meninggalkan selembar surat kesepakatan cerai. Shanaya kembali ke dunia kerja dan fokus meniti kariernya. Dia menghebohkan seluruh Kota Himar dan menjadi incaran kalangan atas. Melihat pria-pria yang bermunculan di sisi Shanaya, si presdir dingin pun tak bisa tinggal diam lagi. Dia turun tangan secara pribadi untuk menyingkirkan saingan asmaranya, lalu memojokkan Shanaya ke dinding. "Istriku, aku nggak setuju untuk cerai!"

My sister, Winona Clarke, was stabbed to death by a thug in order to save me. My mom, Amber Green, does not want my nephew, Sonny Cohen, to suffer. So, she suggests that I marry my brother-in-law, Kenneth Cohen, and take care of the father and son. For Sonny's safety, I end up on the verge of death due to Kenneth's relentless and merciless torture. Just then, Winona, who should have been dead, returns! Her arm linked with a millionaire's, she boasts to me, "Thank you for putting up with that maniac and sticking around until he died. Not only did you help me raise Sonny, who has Super Male Syndrome, but you even made it possible for me to inherit all of Kenneth's assets through Sonny." Sonny joins Winona in belittling me and even spreads rumors that I killed Kenneth. Because of her lies, I become notorious online and eventually die while being the subject of everyone's criticism and ridicule. The heavens must have taken mercy on me, for I am granted a second chance at life. Now, I am back to the day Mom wants me to marry Kenneth.

Esther Davenier has spent her life proving she belongs—first to the elite family who raised her, then to a society that values bloodlines over loyalty. But when a long-lost “real” daughter is found, Esther is discarded like yesterday’s scandal—her name erased, her face mocked, her engagement stolen. They thought they could bury her. But Esther doesn’t go quietly. Armed with multiple powerful hidden identities and a dangerous new ally—CEO Evander Westvale, the man they said she could never have—Esther steps back into the limelight not to reclaim what was stolen, but to take what was never offered. Now she’s more than ready to turn the game upside down.

There's this thing that my mom keeps repeating to me. "I love my children equally. I will always treat you and Brielle the same." It's true that I get everything my sister, Brielle Montgomery, has since we were children. If Brielle has a new backpack, I do too. If Brielle goes for piano lessons, I'll be given the opportunity to attend the same lessons. When I go home for the holidays, my mom digs out two beautiful shopping bags sporting luxury brand logos. With a smile on her face, she hands them to us. "I specifically went to the store to buy you nice coats. Both of you get a coat each. I'll have you know that coats with wool linings are worth thousands of dollars. I don't even have the heart to wear one of these coats. I only bought these coats for you two." As I gaze at the expensive-looking coat, I feel warmth surging into my heart. But when I try on the coat, I feel a weird, scratchy sensation coming from my armpits. After flipping the coat inside out, I notice a few strands of long, dry hair tightly entangled among the seams. I even smell a faint trace of mold mixed with a strong hint of rot that can't be covered up by the cheap fragrance on the coat.