Towel Drop

Soraya Adhitama pernah memiliki segalanya: kekayaan, kecantikan, otak cemerlang, dan cinta yang tulus dari Gilang, kekasih masa SMA-nya. Namun, roda nasib berputar kejam. Kebangkrutan mendadak dan kematian Sang Ayah menyeret Soraya ke dalam jurang kemiskinan. Ketika Ibu Wati divonis gagal ginjal dan membutuhkan biaya cuci darah setiap minggu, Soraya dihadapkan pada satu-satunya aset yang tersisa: tubuhnya sendiri. ​Di balik tembok universitas yang megah, Soraya menjalani kehidupan ganda yang kelam. Di siang hari, ia adalah mahasiswi teladan dengan IPK 4.0 yang dikagumi. Namun di malam hari, ia adalah "boneka" bagi para penguasa kampus. ​Dr. Subagyo, Sang Dekan yang menawarkan uang dengan syarat kepatuhan mutlak di ranjang. Dosen Rian, pengajar muda nan cerdas yang memanipulasi keadaan demi memuaskan egonya. Dan Dosen Brata, sang eksekutor nilai yang menuntut pembayaran lewat rasa sakit. Ketiganya menjerat Soraya dalam lingkaran setan di mana IPK dan uang berobat menjadi mata uang transaksi dosa. ​Segalanya hancur ketika Gilang memergoki Soraya di sebuah hotel. Pintu yang didobrak malam itu tidak hanya menelanjangi tubuh Soraya, tapi juga meruntuhkan harga dirinya di mata pria yang paling ia cintai. ​Di tengah cemoohan batin, ancaman drop out, dan teror dari rival kampus yang mengintai, Soraya harus memilih: Berhenti dan membiarkan ibunya mati, atau terus melangkah di jalan berlumpur ini meski harus kehilangan jiwanya? ​Ini bukan sekadar kisah perselingkuhan. Ini adalah kisah tentang seorang wanita yang rela menjadi iblis demi menjadi malaikat penolong bagi keluarganya. Dan tentang seorang pria yang cintanya berubah menjadi obsesi dingin yang mematikan. ​Sanggupkah Soraya menebus dosanya? Atau selamanya ia akan menjadi tawanan dari gelar sarjananya sendiri? ​ ​"Orang bilang aku wanita bodoh yang mau dimadu. Aku adalah ratu di kerajaan malamnya, pemegang kunci gairahnya yang tidak akan pernah dimiliki istri sahnya. Dulu aku menjual tubuhku demi IPK. Sekarang, aku memberikannya gratis... demi cinta yang tak akan pernah mati."

In my second year running the company, my high school class monitor suddenly started tagging me nonstop in the group chat. [Alice, Vivian was only joking with you back then. Why won't you come to her party? Are you trying to make her feel guilty?] I didn't understand what was going on. Only after reading the messages did I realize that our class beauty, Vivian Spencer, had recently found her biological parents—and today, she had thrown a party to announce it to the world. Me: [I'm busy.] I had no intention of attending a party hosted by someone who used to bully me. But my answer didn't shut them up. Instead, it stirred up even more absurd speculation. [Don't tell me you're doing some kind of labor job and can't take leave?] [We're all former classmates. If you show up, I'll give you sixty dollars. That should cover two days of your salary.] Vivian chimed in as well. [Alice, it was just a joke back then. And I'd already dropped out by then. Why can't you let it go?] I stared at her message for a long moment before typing: [Only trash would call bullying a joke.] The group exploded instantly. [Vivian's no trash! She's a wealthy heiress. She's not even in the same league as you. Poor people really love to nitpick.] Vivian, ever the hypocrite, tried to smooth things over. [No matter what, today marks a new beginning for me. I hope you'll come to witness it. [We're classmates, after all. I don't hold it against you for forcing me to drop out. If you're short on money, I can even ask my dad to arrange a job for you.] Then she sent a screenshot of her chat with her father. When I saw her father's profile picture, I froze. Wasn't that the same profile picture as my freeloading dad? But I look seventy percent like my mom—it's impossible for me to be a fake daughter. And Vivian was two months younger than me. I let out a laugh. "Alright, I'll definitely attend your recognition party."