Sofa Oscar

Saat hendak pergi dari restoran milik adikku, tiba-tiba aku dipanggil oleh manajernya, “Permisi kak, kamu belum bayar.” Melihat wajah asing itu, aku pikir dia karyawan baru yang belum mengenalku. Jadi, aku menjelaskan dengan ramah, “Tagihkan ke bos kalian saja, dia tahu.” Manajer itu pun menatapku dengan jijik, “Kak, restoran kami ini michelin bintang tiga. Kami nggak pernah ada sistem utang seperti itu.” Usai bicara, dia menyerahkan selembar tagihan yang sudah dicetak. Aku menunduk dan melirik, sekali makan harganya satu miliar. Biaya perawatan alat makan yang kinclong, enam puluh juta. Biaya pembersihan udara khusus, seratus juta. Biaya layanan penenang suasana hati tamu VIP, dua ratus juta. Dan banyak biaya aneh lainnya lagi. Aku bahkan tidak tahu adikku membuka bisnis gelap seperti ini. Aku sampai tertawa kesal di tempat, “Aku ini kakaknya Pak Oscar. Kalau ada masalah, suruh dia pulang dan bicarakan denganku.” Namun, dia tetap mengeyel, “Makan saja nggak mampu bayar, masih sok kenal dengan Pak Oscar segala.” Aku langsung mengirim pesan ke sekretaris, [Tolong bilang ke adikku, pecat perempuan ini atau aku tarik investasinya.]

Ibuku meninggal karena terlalu emosional. Pasalnya, hari yang seharusnya menjadi hari pernikahanku, kini pengantin wanitanya malah berubah menjadi mitra bisnis Ezra. Pada saat ibuku mengembuskan napas terakhirnya, hari pernikahanku berubah menjadi hari pemakamannya. Namun, Ezra memerintahkan agar pesta pernikahan tetap dilanjutkan seperti biasa dan bahkan memintaku untuk memasangkan cincin pernikahan ke jari Naila secara langsung. "Cepat! Pasangkan cincin itu padanya. Malam ini, aku akan memberimu penjelasan," katanya sambil menggertakkan giginya. Aku mengabaikan amarah Ezra dan menggendong jenazah ibuku meninggalkan hotel. Pukul delapan malam, pernikahan dengan pengantin yang diganti itu selesai dengan "sempurna". Naila memposting di Instagram dan postingannya mendapat puluhan ribu suka. [ Yay! Hari ini aku akhirnya menikahi pria idamanku. Terima kasih pada pihak ketiga yang sadar diri dan pergi. ] Tak lama kemudian, Ezra juga memposting. [ Orang yang nggak layak, nggak pantas dicintai. ] Di kamar jenazah yang dingin, aku memberikan tanda suka pada postingan mereka berdua dan menulis komenta. [ Semoga langgeng. ] Kemudian, aku mengemas barang-barangku sambil memeluk kotak abu jenazah ibuku. Namun, ketika aku sampai di rumah baru yang kubeli, aku menemukan Ezra sedang berciuman penuh gairah dengan Naila di sofa baruku.

Sonia dan Reza Herdian sudah menikah selama tiga tahun, belum pernah bertemu, dan jarang dikenal siapa pun. Malam hari, Sonia, istri sang CEO, sedang berbaring di villa Reza Herdian sambil mengelus anjing Reza Herdian, dan berbaring di sofa yang dirancang dan disesuaikan oleh Reza Herdian. Dan pada siang hari, dia adalah tutor yang dia pekerjakan, dan dia diperbudak olehnya untuk mendapatkan gajinya, tergantung pada ekspresinya. Namun, dia bisa memberikan sikap yang tidak baik baginya, tetapi orang lain tidak bisa. Ketika seseorang menghinanya, dia mendukungnya. Ketika seseorang menindasnya, dia langsung melawan dan membunuh mereka. Lambat laun semua orang mengetahui bahwa kecintaan Reza Herdian pada Sonia berbeda, seperti kepedulian seorang sesepuh terhadap generasi muda, namun di saat yang sama tampak berbeda, karena begitu manis dan penyayang pantai, sebenarnya dia sudah menjadi orang baik, tapi sekarang dia sekali lagi membunuh dengan tegas dan kejam! Beberapa orang juga menemukan perbedaan pada Sonia, misalnya dia berasal dari keluarga biasa namun ternyata memakai perhiasan mewah seharga puluhan juta, juga ada orang mengjeleknya, “sugar daddynya kaya”. Sonia menoleh ke belakang dengan jijik, "Maaf, ini adalah merek yang saya buat!"

"Logan, just give me some sleeping pills. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks," Xavier said to his psychiatrist and childhood friend. "You don’t need sleeping pills, Xavier. What you need is a break. How about taking ten days off on a cruise?" Dr. Logan Pierce suggested. "You know how much money I can make in ten days? And you want me to waste it sitting idle on a boat? Every minute I’m off that ship is costing me." "That’s exactly why you need it. The world will survive without you for ten days. Maybe you’ll realize you can, too." "But…" Xavier protested. "Xavier, sleeping pills won’t help this time. You’re becoming too dependent on them, and I’m not prescribing more. If you want your sleep back, take a break—a cruise vacation will do the trick." "Fine. But if this doesn’t work, I’m never listening to you again." "Deal. Now, go pack. And leave your laptop at home." Little did Xavier know that these ten days on the cruise would bring him a surprise. Girlfriend? No. Memories? No. Friends? No. Then what? Twins... Now, Xavier doesn’t need sleeping pills to sleep—just a sofa with no noise. The only purpose of Xavier’s life now is to find a mother for the twins.

“Valerie.” My head snapped up at the sound of my name. The Alpha was standing by the sofa, unbuttoning the neck of his coat. “Come,” he said. “We don’t have much time.” Much time? For what? A chill moved up my arms. I wouldn’t dare ask—not that I needed to. I was not an innocent child anymore. All of my training had been for this moment. There was only one reason why werewolves purchased young, human virgins. Sex. I was a slave. A pet. And my master could do whatever he pleased with me. _________ When the war started. They fought. They slaughtered. We were nearly wiped out on the earth. Surviving humans were classified into three categories: free humans, Servants, and Slaves. My name is Valerie Davis. My parents were accused of committing a crime against the creatures in the war. After their execution, I was captured and sent to the cell as a human slave. I lived in that cell for years before I was transported to a Slave Shop, where I would be picked by a Master. It was during the dry season when I was put in the display box. I wasn't afraid like the other girls, because I was unwanted for my weirdness. I was despised for being the criminals’ daughter. I was lucky, as the masters wouldn’t want to lay a finger on me. But then the Alpha came. When he looked at me, he said he want me. ___________________________ Daily Update!

By the time I got home from my business trip, it was already past midnight—and my husband wasn't there. A woman's blouse lay on the sofa. It wasn't mine. I called him. He said he was working late at the office. I didn't bother with pretense. "Whose blouse is on the sofa?" His tone was light and casual. "Who else would it be? It's obviously a gift for you. Try it on." Suspicious, I picked it up and held it against myself. The blouse was clearly one size too small. "Honey, this is a size S. I always wear M." My husband owns a clothing company. He handles all my clothes. He's even used my measurements to design women's wear. There's no way he doesn't know my size. On the phone, he froze for half a second, then spoke as if piecing something together. "This is a new women's line I'm launching. I ordered custom pieces for you and my sister. I must've grabbed the wrong one. I'll switch it tomorrow." A moment later, his voice softened with exhaustion. "Babe, you've been gone for days. Without you, I feel so tired… I miss you so much…" It was already late into the night. Hearing him sound vulnerable—something he rarely did—made my chest tighten. I blamed myself for overthinking. But the moment I hung up, realization struck. His sister has the same build as me. She always wears size M.

Billionaire Isaac Lloyd viewed his impoverished wife Emily merely as a tool to appease his family's incessant pressure for his marriage. He consistently neglected Emily's feelings, often leaving her alone in their mansion while he would be out all night. It wasn't until Emily had had enough and sought a divorce, moving out, that Isaac realized he had grown accustomed to her company. He regretted his actions deeply, resorting to every possible means to bring Emily back to his side. Despite his efforts with roses, luxurious dates, and jewels, nothing could win back Emily's heart. She had already found her own world where she transformed and grew into a movie star, adored by all of Hollywood. Holding the Oscar’s best actress trophy, Emily said, ‘I would like to thank my ex-husband. Had it not been for his neglect and abandonment during our brief marriage, I would never have had the opportunity to build my acting career.’ Emily's fans exclaimed, ‘Divorce was the best decision Emily ever made!’ The Best Actor winner smiled, ‘I believe no one dares to ignore Emily now!’ Meanwhile, Isaac was hidden in the audience, watching as the spotlight illuminated Emily's path forward. He incessantly searched on his phone: 'How to win back my ex-wife who has become the Best Actress?' 'What to do if my ex-wife doesn't love me anymore?' 'Why didn't I cherish the love of my life when I had the chance?'

On April Fool’s Day, my CEO husband cut out my heart to save his childhood sweetheart's son. After the surgery, he tossed me into a cold rental apartment, where I died in agony. Three days after my death, my five-year-old daughter played in the room as usual. Walking by the sofa, she wrinkled her little nose and mumbled, "Mommy, there's a weird smell in here." She touched my face and murmured, "Mommy, are you pretending to be Snow White? Why are you so pale?" She shook my arm harder and raised her voice, "Mommy, it's my birthday today—get up and blow out the candles!" Confused, she picked up the phone and called her father. “Daddy, did I make Mommy mad? I lit the candles, but no matter how much I call her, she won’t wake up.” On the other end of the call, Patrick Hart’s voice was cold and impatient. “What could possibly be wrong with her? She’s just pretending to be asleep for sympathy. It’s Johnny’s birthday, I’m busy. Don’t bother me! Tell your melodramatic mother to stop playing her little tricks. I don't have time to humor her." My daughter removed the candle from her bun, pinched off a piece of the bun, and fed it to me. "Mommy, I made a secret wish… I really wish you could hold me again, just like before."

"Lalu kamu mau sampai kapan hidup seperti ini? Dikeluarkan dari kampus, dipanggil polisi karena tawuran, dilaporkan karena menabrak kendaraan dalam kondisi mabuk?" "Oma ... aku masih muda. Aku masih pengin hidup bebas, jalanin hidupku sendiri!" Regita merengek. Suaranya mulai pecah, tubuhnya gemetar menahan gejolak dalam dada. Menikah bukan keinginannya. Pernikahan orangtuanya yang berantakan, menyisakan trauma untuk Regita. "Cukup!" potong Oma dingin. "Semuanya sudah Oma bicarakan pada keluarga calon suamimu. Lamaran akan dilakukan hari Sabtu ini dan menikah secepatnya di Minggu depan." "Omaaaa—!" Regita menjerit frustasi, melempar bantal sofa ke lantai. Regita terdiam dalam tangis yang tertahan. Sekuat apa pun ia ingin melawan, ia tahu hidupnya masih bergantung pada sang Oma. Rumah tinggal, biaya hidup, bahkan nama keluarganya. "Kalau kamu tetap menolak." Suara Oma kembali terdengar, pelan tapi menusuk. "Mulai besok, kamu silakan cari tempat tinggal sendiri. Uang sakumu, makan, fasilitas, dan semua yang kamu gunakan, akan Oma cabut." Regita terdiam. Sang Oma sedang tidak main-main. "Bereskan dirimu. Jangan buat hal memalukan lebih besar lagi. Berhenti main-main dan kamu harus berubah!" Menikah? Satu hal yang tidak pernah masuk ke dalam harapan Regita, tapi justru akan menjadi kenyataan yang tidak bisa ia hindarkan.

Pada malam hari jadi pernikahan kami yang keenam, aku tersipu dan menghindari ciuman panas suamiku, Arga, lalu mendorongnya untuk meraih pengaman di meja samping tempat tidur. Di dalamnya, ada kejutan yang aku siapkan, alat tes kehamilan yang menunjukkan hasil positif. Aku membayangkan senyum seperti apa yang akan dia tunjukkan saat menemukannya. Namun, tepat saat dia hendak meraih laci, ponselnya berdering. Suara sahabatnya, Omar, terdengar dari gagang telepon, berbicara dalam bahasa Jerman. “Pak Arga, semalam bagaimana rasanya? Apa sofa erotis baru dari perusahaan kita nyaman?” Arga terkekeh pelan dan menjawab dalam bahasa Jerman, “Fungsi pijatnya berfungsi dengan baik, jadi aku tidak perlu memijat punggung Hanna lagi.” Dia masih memelukku erat, tapi tatapannya seolah menembusku, menatap seseorang yang lain. “Hanya kita berdua yang tahu tentang ini. Kalau istriku tahu aku tidur dengan adiknya, mampus aku.” Hatiku serasa ditusuk dengan keras. Mereka tidak tahu kalau aku mengambil mata kuliah minor Bahasa Jerman di perguruan tinggi, jadi aku mengerti setiap katanya. Aku memaksakan diri untuk tetap tenang, tetapi tanganku yang melingkari lehernya sedikit gemetar. Saat itu, aku akhirnya memutuskan untuk menerima undangan dari proyek penelitian internasional. Tiga hari kemudian, aku akan lenyap sepenuhnya dari dunia Arga.