Pause Bracelet

My son, Jasper Cole, won the gold prize in an art competition. When I took off my apron and rushed to the award ceremony, I found that the painting titled 'Mother' was not of me but Maeve Leighton, my husband's secretary. Maeve pretended to be troubled as she told my son, "Your mom will be sad when she sees this painting." However, Jasper was unperturbed. "What does her sadness have to do with me? She's an ordinary-looking and incompetent housewife, always nagging me about what I can and can’t do. She's too strict with me. It's annoying! Maeve, I wish you were my mother. My dad doesn't like my mom at all. He's only happy when he's with you. He's only with my mom because he feels obligated." My heart broke at that moment. Since he no longer wanted me as his mother, it was pointless for me to stay. I called my dad. "Dad, I want to go home. Can you pick me up?" My dad could not believe it. He answered after a long pause, "Of course. I'll come pick up my brilliant daughter in three days."

When the world knows your name, sometimes the only way to find yourself is to become someone else. Dalon Sorrin is a world-famous Formula 1 driver, a master at navigating high speeds and higher stakes. But when the weight of fame becomes too much, he escapes to a quiet town in Italy, desperate to disappear from the spotlight and reclaim a sense of normalcy. When he meets a fellow traveler, he introduces himself as Jack Dawson, hoping to enjoy a connection untouched by celebrity. Rejena Brink is no stranger to pressure herself. Between a demanding job, relentless coursework, and her passion for writing, life has left her burned out. A spontaneous trip to Italy is her way of pressing pause—a chance to rediscover the freedom and creativity of her younger self. On her first day, she crosses paths with a charming stranger who calls himself Jack. Playing along, she offers her pen name: Jane Carter. Neither is being honest. And neither expects their connection to deepen. What Dalon doesn’t know is that Rejena is a devoted Formula 1 fan. And what Rejena doesn’t see coming is the emotional cost of falling for someone who isn’t who he claims to be. As their secrets edge closer to the surface, both must ask: Can love survive the truth? And can they become the people they were always meant to be?

"I don't merely experience anger, Hiya. My feelings towards you go beyond that - it's a perpetual hatred. While anger may subside in a moment, this kind of hatred lingers for a lifetime. No matter how much one desires, such hatred cannot be eradicated. I harbor an enduring resentment towards you, Hiya!" The intensity of his words conveyed the depth of his emotions and the complexity of the situation. "You women are truly greedy. And you, Hiya, turned out to be just like that. Did you marry me for anything other than money?" Ahil's eyes became slightly moist as he spoke, but he couldn't contain his silence today. It felt like he was unleashing years of pent-up frustration on one woman. Pausing briefly, he began to roar again, "What do you think of yourself, Hiya? Will you go anywhere without telling, considering yourself the mistress of this house?" Then, after a momentary pause, he yelled, "But don't forget that your place in this house is worse than that of the servants. You are my slave and will always remain so. Because you created this place for yourself... never consider yourself the mistress of this house. And yes, you have no right to question me. Stick to the job you were brought here for and don't try to go beyond that. Otherwise, I will kill you...!"

On our tenth wedding anniversary, I made a special trip to the salon to have my hair done. While settling the bill, I noticed an extra charge on my account. It was a coloring and perm package. Judging by the price, it was a package meant for waist-length hair. Mine had been cropped short for seven or eight years. I called my husband, Jason Moore. "Have you used my salon membership card recently?" There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he laughed lightly, "Oh, I lent it to Quincy a few days ago." Quincy Hahn was his business partner, a fine arts student with long hair. She treasured her natural curls more than anything. She would never be willing to dye or perm it. More importantly, her elder sister was a major shareholder of this salon. Why would she ever need to use my card? I said nothing more and ended the call. Then, I headed straight to a location displayed on my phone. In the cafe, a long-haired lady was nestled in Jason's arms. Her freshly permed curls were soft and bouncy, framing her blushed face with certain demureness. Jason had always complained that my short hair made me look rough and manly. I lacked gentleness and charm. It seemed this long-haired lady suited his tastes perfectly.

-Who are you?" Finally, he stopped the silence. His words were strong, angry, and loud. "-What?" I felt so confused still couldn’t let my eyes from his new look. And his actions of killing without any emotions made my voice trembling. "-I...TOLD...YOU...WHO... THE FUCK... ARE... YOU...?" With stiff teeth he seemed to lose his patience, slowly and frighteningly, he asked, no, ordered to me, without lifting his eyes from me, with every word he took a step closer to me until I could smell the sweat, dirt smell of his ammunition from him. His hard chest-like rock was so close that it barely touched my body. I was shivering he was so scary and I still wanted him badly. "-Are you joking with me? How to understand, who am I?" I whispered... I stopped our deep gaze, even though it wasn't easy. -"What's happening here? Where are we? Why are you...." I couldn't finish one of my hundreds of questions when my husband turned his eyes away from me to his men. -"Take that strange ‘pause from his lips, his eyes traveled from the top of my head to my legs" bitch, to the cell, that little mouth soon will be open for me. And she will talk as well too."

For a decade, my world had been measured in laundry cycles, grocery lists, and the ever-growing pile of dishes in the sink. I was elbow-deep in soapy water, scrubbing the remnants of another family meal, when it happened. A sudden, silent cascade of text flickered at the edge of my vision, like subtitles for a movie only I could see: [Gosh, the heroine is so tragic. Her husband's entire family has been feeding on her luck like parasites!] [Her husband stole her graduate school admission and her career!] [The in-laws are literally siphoning her health away. No wonder she's always sick.] [And the sister-in-law took her "romance" stat! No wonder her love life is a desert.] [Heads up! Her husband's about to give her another "gift." Let's see how much more he takes from her this time.] My hands, clutching a greasy plate, froze. Right on cue, my husband, Tristan, sauntered into the kitchen. A smug, self-satisfied smile was plastered on his face as he took my wet hand. He slid a flimsy, garishly colored plastic bracelet onto my wrist. "Look what I got for you, sweetheart," he announced, his voice dripping with pride. "I made a special trip after work. Found it at the dollar store. It's romantic and economical, just like you always say you want. You love it, don't you?"

Ibu tetaplah seorang ibu. Seburuk apapun sikapnya. Dia akan tetap menjadi ibumu. Dia akan tetap menjadi tempatmu kembali dalam Suka dan duka. Sekalipun dia telah tiada, dia akan Tetap menjadi orang yang kau sebut ibu. Mak" sapa ku pelan "Hmm kenapa?" Ucap mamak yang masih fokus menatap layar ponselnya. "Boleh matikan dulu YouTube itu, atau mamak pause lah, Laila mau bicara serius" ucapku mengiba. "Bicaralah, biar mataku menonton telingaku mendengar kamu bicara apa" ucap mamak yang masih fokus memperhatikan channel salah satu artis idolanya. Melihat jawaban mamak yang tak bersahabat aku lebih memilih berdiri, mengurungkan niatku. Saat ini ingin melangkah aku di kejutkan dengan bahasa mamak yang benar-benar kasar menurutku. "Anak tidak punya sopan santun" ucapnya. Lalu bagaimana dengan ibunya Laila? Ibu yang tidak pernah mengalah dengan anaknya, walaupun Laila telah memperlakukan ibunya sebaik mungkin. Cerita ini di kemas dengan gaya bahasa yang sedikit berbeda, menggunakan logat daerah dari kota Sumatera. Yang penasaran, yuk lanjut di baca bab demi bab. Mungkin saja akan ada pelajaran dari setiap bab yang telah di suguhkan untuk kita semua. Salam hangat A.dini :)

•She ain't a good girl! She is the girl you don't want to mess with! ________ •He is a loved good guy in this world of hyped-up bad boys! Unless! Unless! You cross her way for the bad girl has wrapped the good guy around her little finger and makes him sin! BUT!!! •What happens when the trust is broken? '''The magical spell of euphoria is distorted and piercing pieces of betrayal unfurls making you bleed.''' __________ "Addiction is fucking heart-wrenching!" She stated taking a long drag of the cigarette which was held in between her lips. Then she blew out the smoke and jumped on the bonnet of the car. "Put this away then!" He raised his finger towards the cigarette. "Not this," she affirmed inhaling nicotine once again. "It's addiction is helpful to drown all other horrifying addictions." A pregnant pause engulfed them. The only sound was the whispering of wind with the shedding leaves of trees. The autumn had prevailed the green life likewise their souls were also shedding off its color, painfully. Agonizingly slow. "I'm always here for you!" He whispered. "I know!" Under the faint moonlight her self-pitying smile could be seen. "Besides these drugs you are the only one who is here for me." He did not say anything back for he knew she won't reply now. He too sat on the bonnet and taking the cigarette from her he inhaled the smoke. ___________ Find who the enigmatic warrior is or is that you?

What happens when your secret crush is your Boss and surprisingly he asks you to become the substitute mother to his daughter? Stacy Hills is a timid girl with no rights of her own in the hands of her very own father who is more than willing to her off to get more money to spend on and in the nearby club because to him Stacy is nothing but an invaluable object used for his own advantage. She is forced by her father to sign marriage documents to her old college bully who wanted nothing more than to get between Stacy’s legs and dominate her by any means possible. Stacy for the first time refused to abide by her father's commands. In a fit of anger, her father raised his hand, poised to strike Stacy across the face. However, before he could act, a chilling threat filled the room, freezing him in place. "If you lay a hand on her, I will not hesitate to take every measure to ensure you are imprisoned for assaulting a woman, even if that woman happens to be your own daughter," a deep, menacing voice threatened, causing Ethan's hand to pause mid-air. "Yes! No one dares to hurt my substitute mummy!” A young girl's voice said, coming out from behind her Dad. "If anyone dares, then they'll face a cruel punishment from my daddy,” She had a serious look on her cute little face.

On our fifth dating anniversary, my boyfriend, Luke Bolton, gives me a cheap bracelet worth less than a hundred dollars. On the same night, he splurges ten million dollars on a yacht for his first love, Cindy Gale. I refuse to accept this, and he accuses me of making a scene. "I gave Cindy that gift to boost the company's stock price, not because I still have feelings for her," he says. "You're poor, and I still promised to marry you. Isn't that enough? This was actually your last test, Elisa Gray, but you failed it." I break up with him, and he immediately proposes to Cindy. Five years after that, we meet again at a luxury hotel during a business summit. His company is about to become an industry giant, and Cindy is holding onto his arm. When he sees me, I'm standing in a fountain, all drenched and disheveled. "Elisa," Luke sneers. "When you turned me down back then, did it ever cross your mind that you might end up worse than a homeless person? "Don't think acting pitiful here will make me feel sorry and take you back." I ignore him. My son's cherished blue diamond was a birthday gift from his father, and he accidentally dropped it into the fountain. He's so upset that he's about to cry, and I have to find it right away.