Kino's Journey

Two days before New Year's, my boyfriend, Jeffrey Graham, planned to spend the holiday at the beach with his assistant. I did not argue or complain. Instead, I thoughtfully packed his bags for him. However, he mocked me, saying that I had finally learned to be considerate now that I was pregnant. After he left, I wasted no time and went to get an abortion. Why? In my previous life, I tried to use our child to stop him, but his assistant ended up being brutally murdered at the beach. Jeffrey appeared calm on the surface after that incident, but just when I was about to give birth, he cruelly cut open my abdomen and killed my baby. That was when I realized—he had been holding a deep grudge against me all along. This time, I was determined to make him lose everything.

Three years after Vivian and I married into the Domingo family, our husbands' childhood crush Niama Guido came back to the town. Vivian and I had a whole escape plan. But the night before we bailed, Vivian threw herself off a high-rise. I called her husband, Pedro Domingo. He laughed, his tone nasty and cold. "Reena, my brother asked, since she jumped today, are you going to drown yourself tomorrow?"

Six years after marrying Rhiannon Westley, she takes a lover. He's like a puppy—timid and clingy. He flinches at the slightest raised voice, so Rhiannon never loses her temper in front of him. But when he acts up in front of me, Rhiannon snaps. She's furious, and she gives him a harsh scolding. The next day, he sends me a photo of his neck covered in red marks. "Zane, Ms. Westley is so fierce..."

The day my husband left the country on a business trip with his assistant, I learned—by sheer accident—that his archenemy was plotting revenge overseas. Without a second thought, I raced to the airport and stopped him from boarding the plane. But his assistant went ahead, alone. And over there, she was killed brutally. Not a trace of her remains was ever found. When my husband received the news, he fell apart. Wracked with guilt, eaten alive by remorse, he spiraled into a relentless, violent mania. In the past three years, I'd been in and out of hospitals more times than I could count because of him. And this time, he pushed me so far—I lost our child. Then I overheard a conversation between him and his secretary. "Sir, Casey is still alive. Why keep pretending you're sick? Aren't you afraid your wife will find out and leave you?" "Leave me? What right does she have to be angry?" He laughed coldly. "If she hadn't stopped me from going abroad, Casey would've never been lured away by that bastard. Everything Linda's suffering now—she brought it on herself."

Despite my parents' objections, I stay by Julian Grant's side for ten years. He goes from having nothing to building his own empire. The moment it's time to fulfill our ten-year promise, I proudly tell my parents I'm going to marry him. But then, he gives the vice president position meant for me to another woman. I confront him only to overhear a woman's hesitant voice behind the door. "Mr. Grant... you gave me the VP role, but what about Ms. Jones? Aren't you two getting married?" Julian's tone is cold and sharp, though his face is calm and unaffected. "Noelle's been with me for ten years. Who else would even want her? Relax—she won't dare make a scene." The words hit me like a slap to the face. Without another word, I turn and make a call to my arranged marriage contact. "Are you free?" I ask. "Let's get married."

I was in a temporary shock from an allergic reaction. The two guys I had grown up with didn't even look my way. One of them was busy helping Vivian Byrd carry a pile of gifts, while the other was snapping pictures of her at some popular social media spot. It was a stranger passing by who called an ambulance and got me to the hospital, saving my life. The next day, Vivian called, her tone almost smug. "Trish, Zeke and Hendrick were so exhausted after shopping with me yesterday. I heard you threw a tantrum and ended up in the hospital. Should I come visit you?" I simply replied, "No need." Zeke Benson and Hendrick Peay were my childhood friends. They once treated me like I was everything to them—promising to pluck the moon and stars from the sky and to protect me forever. But ever since Vivian came into the picture, their world no longer revolved around me. I thought for a moment and then dialed my mother's number. "Mom, I'll accept the marriage arrangement."

Ayo pembaca yang suka cerita pernikahan kontrak, romantis, lucu, juga penuh misteri menegangkan. Talisa yang pemberani dan agak konyol, bertemu Calvin yang dingin dan kaku. *** Karena sebuah kejadian tidak terduga, Talisa terpaksa menandatangani kontrak pernikahan dengan Calvin Alexander, seorang billionaire bersifat dingin dan sangat misterius. Talisa yang berasal dari lingkungan miskin tiba-tiba dibawa pulang ke rumah megah kelurga Alexander yang ternyata juga penuh drama manusia-manusia licik. Bisakah Talisa bertahan di tengah keluarga Calvin yang super kaya raya dan terus ingin menyingkirkan Talisa? Beruntung Talisa juga berasal dari lingkungan yang tahan banting, pandai berkelahi dan tidak mau kalah. Walaupun cuma pernikahan kontrak, Calvin Alexander benar-benar mendapatkan istri yang tidak mudah disingkirkan oleh keluarganya yang serakah.

Bukan kisah cinta yang berawal bahagia lantas terluka. Tapi kisah lara tentang orang tua yang amat ambisius mengejar harapan yang nyaris menyakiti perasaan. Berbagai siloka menjadi jalan cerita, berbagai diksi menjadi arti hidup ini. Berbagai lantunan sendu menjadi tangis amat pilu. Caci-maki yang selalu mengintai seakan-akan menyangkal bahwa ia tidak boleh bahagia. Meninggalkan kisah lara penuh kata penyesalan. "Ayah hidup itu tidak harus tentang nilai yang bagus. Tapi tentang seseorang yang menyayangi dengan tulus." "Ibu pintar itu tidak harus menguasai semua bidang. Satu bidang saja, jika sudah mengerti dengan perasaan orang lain, ia bukan sekedar pintar tapi jenius." "Kak pintar itu tidak harus punya piala. Sekedar mendekap lantas menyeka air mata, ia sudah pintar menghilangkan lara kita." "Aira, kamu memang berbeda tapi perbedaan itu terletak pada keistimewaan yang kamu punya. Di mana orang lain tidak memiliki itu semua. Kakak sayang kamu selamanya." "Kenapa Aira selalu dibentak ayah sama ibu? Sedangkan kak Ayu dan kak Andi gak pernah!" "Otakmu itu kecil. Berpikir pun lambat." "Ibu malu punya anak seperti kamu!" "Kakak sayang sama kamu. Kakak janji gak akan ninggalin kamu." "Kak Aira pergi sesuai permintaan kalian. Selamat tinggal." "Aira, kenapa kala itu kamu gak mengucapkan sampai jumpa lagi? Dan mungkin sekarang kita masih saling memeluk bukan menangisi kamu." "Yang sudah kamu dapat sudah seharusnya kamu dekap dengan erat."

Hidup Amora berubah menjadi penuh bahaya, saat dirinya dibuang ke pulau Blaxland atas perintah Kaisar. Pulau ini dikenal sebagai pulau terkutuk karena dipenuhi oleh makhluk mistis, yang tak lain adalah siluman pemangsa manusia. Namun, pulau Blaxland ternyata menyimpan sesuatu yang lebih berbahaya daripada siluman kelaparan. Hal itu adalah, Amagl terkutuk yang dipercaya sebagai perwujudan dari segala hal buruk. Akibat kecerobohannya, Amora membuat Amagl terkutuk terbangun dari tidur panjangnya. Semenjak saat itu, mau tidak mau Amora harus ikut dalam perjalanan sang Amagl. Melewati banyak bahaya, menemukan berbagai hal baru, serta mengungkap satu per satu rahasia masa lalu. "Kau yang sudah membangunkanku, Amora. Maka, kau harus menerima takdirmu untuk tetap berada di sisiku, selamanya.”—Xavier, sang Amagl Terkutuk.

Secara mengejutkan, Viola dijadikan jaminan oleh sang kakak yang mulai berjudi setelah kehilangan pekerjaannya. Hal itulah membawa Viola bertemu dengan sosok keras dan penuh obsesi, Gerald. Pria itulah yang memperkenalkan Viola pada dunia baru yang mengerikan, sekaligus sangat menarik. Gerald memperkenalkan Viola pada sebuah gairah yang lambat laun membuat dirinya merasa candu. Itulah yang juga dirasakan oleh Gerald pada Viola. Bagi Gerald, Viola adalah opium yang membuat Gerald kecanduan. Viola adalah vodka yang membuat Gerald mabuk. Viola adalah gadis yang membuat Gerald menggila. Namun, Gerald yakin jika Viola hanyalah bagian dari obsesinya. Tidak lebih. "Tolong lepaskan aku, Gerald."-Viola "Bagaimana bisa aku melepaskanmu, ketika hanya kau yang bisa memuaskanku di atas ranjang, Viola?"-Gerald