Toxic Relationship

Aku pergi menonton konser penyanyi favoritku sendirian. Saat sesi permintaan lagu, aku sangat gembira, berdoa semoga aku menjadi penonton yang beruntung. Namun detik berikutnya, suamiku yang sedang dalam perjalanan bisnis muncul di layar lebar dan di sebelahnya adalah cinta pertamanya, Desi Maulanda. “Aku ingin meminta lagu ‘Kembali ke Masa Lalu’, kembali ke tiga tahun lalu, Martin Sutanto tidak akan pernah putus dengan Desi.” Seluruh penonton bersorak, merayakan cinta mereka. Hanya aku yang menangis. Saat sesi permintaan lagu berikutnya, aku melihat wajahku yang berlinang air mata muncul di layar lebar. “Aku juga akan meminta lagi ‘Kembali ke Masa Lalu’, kembali ke masa lalu aku tidak akan pernah menerima lamaran Martin.”

Donny akhirnya menyetujui permintaanku untuk menikah. Dia secara khusus memintaku untuk berpakaian rapi dan mengatakan jika dia sudah menyiapkan kejutan untukku. Namun, saat aku datang dengan pakaian terbaikku, ternyata tidak ada pengantin pria di acara pernikahan. Donny berbalik dan tersenyum kepada adik tiriku di sampingnya. "Kamu bilang pernikahan itu rumit dan membosankan. Hari ini, aku tunjukkan pernikahan yang seru padamu, bagaimana menurutmu?" Pembawa acara pernikahan pun mengumumkan dengan suara lantang, "Pernikahan ditunda." Sahabat masa kecilku bahkan menarik bola air yang sudah disiapkan sebelumnya dan menjatuhkannya di atas kepalaku, hingga membuat seluruh tubuhku basah kuyup. Donny tersenyum nakal sambil mengangkat alisnya kepadaku. "Kirana, ini cuma lelucon saja. Kamu benar-benar mengira aku akan menikahimu?" Pernikahan ini hanyalah sandiwara yang mereka buat untuk menyenangkan adik tiriku yang menderita depresi. Melihatku diam, Donny kembali tertawa dan berkata, "Kalau kamu memang begitu ingin menikah, pilih saja salah satu tamu yang ada di sini dan menikahlah dengannya." Namun, ketika aku benar-benar berjalan bersama pengantin pria ke pelaminan …. Mereka malah jadi panik.

Aku punya sembilan nyawa, dan enam nyawa sudah kuhabiskan untuk Rico. Kali pertama, aku tertimbun dalam longsoran salju saat mencoba menyelamatkannya. Air dari lelehan salju memenuhi mulut dan hidungku. Kali kedua, aku diburu oleh musuhnya dan ditusuk 24 kali hingga tubuhku hancur lebur. Awalnya, dia gemetar dan berjanji tidak akan menyakitiku lagi. Pada kali ketujuh, dia sudah terbiasa dan sengaja menabrakkan mobilnya padaku hanya untuk menyenangkan seorang wanita. "Nyawanya nggak ada harganya. Asal kamu bahagia, dengan senang hati aku suruh dia mati 99 kali." "Kamu mau lihat kematian macam apa lagi? Aku akan mengaturnya sesuai keinginanmu." Aku terhempas sepuluh meter jauhnya seperti baju bekas yang terkoyak. Darah segar mengucur dari mulut dan hidungku. Namun, aku tersenyum dan menghitung dengan jariku. "Dua kali lagi, utang budiku akan terbayar lunas." Rico Sarihan tidak tahu aku hanya punya sembilan nyawa. Setelah aku mati untuk kesembilan kalinya, aku tidak akan kembali lagi. Ironisnya, saat aku benar-benar mati, dia memeluk erat mayatku yang hangus dan berbau busuk itu, tidak mau lepas. Air matanya bercucuran tak terkendali. "Tiara, kumohon bangunlah. Jangan tega begini sama aku. Kelak aku nggak akan biarkan siapa pun menyakitimu lagi." Sayangnya, tidak akan ada lagi seseorang yang menghapus air matanya dengan tangan gemetar berlumuran darah.

Bercerai dan menikah lagi, aku sudah lupa berapa kali aku dan Rangga rujuk dalam pernikahan. Dia pernah memperlakukanku seperti sesuatu yang berharga, tetapi kurang dari setahun setelah pernikahan kami, dia mengajukan perceraian pertama kami. Alasannya sederhana, Sarah akan kembali. “Sarah itu seorang tokoh publik,” katanya padaku. “Aku tak ingin ada yang mengira dia terlibat dengan pria beristri.” Selebritas tingkat rendah itu tidak punya apa pun kecuali pengorbanan ayahnya. Ayahnya dulu rela mati demi Rangga, halangi peluru demi dia, nyawa ganti nyawa. Dan karena itu, Rangga merasa berutang segalanya padanya. Setiap kali Sarah kembali ke negara ini, Rangga menceraikanku. Dan setiap kali Sarah pergi, kami menikah lagi. Pertama kali kami berpisah, aku menenggelamkan air mataku dalam wiski dan terhuyung-huyung kembali ke rumahnya dalam keadaan setengah mabuk. Lampu di dalam terasa hangat, Rangga bersamanya. Sementara aku berdiri di luar, menggigil sepanjang malam. Kali kedua, aku mengikuti setiap gerak-geriknya—restoran, lelang, acara amal—hanya untuk ‘tak sengaja’ ketemu dengannya lagi. Kemudian, aku belajar lebih baik. Saat dia menyebut kata cerai, aku akan diam-diam mengepak koperku dan menghilang dari rumahnya. Cinta dan penghinaan telah membuatku terjebak dalam siklus putus-nyambung dengannya yang tiada habisnya. Namun kali ini, ketika Rangga menungguku di Kantor Catatan Sipil untuk menikah lagi, aku tak pernah muncul...

“Bu Fiona… usia kehamilan Ibu sudah enam bulan. Bayi sudah terbentuk sempurna… Ibu yakin ingin menggugurkannya? Kami sangat menyarankan agar prosedur aborsi tidak dilakukan,” kata dokter, raut wajahnya penuh keraguan. Fiona Darmawan secara refleks memegang perutnya yang kini mulai membesar. Enam bulan… bayinya kini sudah menjadi satu dengan dirinya. Dari sebesar biji beras, kini tumbuh menjadi sosok kecil yang nyata di dalam rahimnya… Jika bukan karena putus asa yang begitu besar, ibu mana yang tega mengakhiri nyawa anak yang hampir lahir ke dunia? Keheningan menyelimuti ruangan, begitu pekat hingga terasa sesak. Fiona menarik napas panjang, menenangkan hatinya yang bergejolak, kemudian menjawab dengan suara tegas dan penuh kepastian, “Aku yakin.”

In this captivating romance novel, Jane, a young and ambitious employee at West&Co, finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, lies, and unexpected love. When her father sells her away to the wealthy and powerful West family, Jane is forced to marry the enigmatic and demanding Liam West. As they embark on a journey of pretending to be a happy couple, Jane and Liam must navigate their complicated feelings, hidden agendas, and the scrutiny of their families and the public eye. But when Jane discovers the secrets behind their engagement and marriage, she must confront the consequences of her own actions and the true nature of her relationship with Liam. Jane finds herself torn between her loyalty to her family and her growing feelings for Liam, who is hiding secrets of his own. With the added threat of a rival company sabotaging West&Co and Liam's ex-girlfriend, Fiona, refusing to let go, Jane must make a bold decision that will change the course of her life forever.

"Turn," he growls, and I can see that he's barely containing himself. I immediately face the wall and wait for the next command. It feels dirty, like I'm his sex toy, but I love it. "Hands on the wall, feet apart," he says. He kicks my feet apart at the same time as he gives the demand, just as impatient as I am. He pulls out my hips so I'm leaning forward, then smacks my ass. He groans deeply in his throat and says, "Seeing your ass jiggle under my hand is f-cking beautiful." I'm squirming, wishing I could put my legs back together to get some friction. "Please Cass, I need it," I whine in a voice that doesn't sound like my own. "You know I can't resist when you beg, my angel," he praises, then slams into me brutally and starts f-cking me hard. *** Alexa relocated to Chicago to work as an assistant and Cassio was exiled by his older brother, the don of the biggest Italian mafia family in New York. Alexa is Cass's assistant at Ombra, the company he built over the 10 years he's been in Chicago. Both are independent and have no interest in love. A mistake at work turns into an opportunity and Cass offers Alexa a contract as his fake girlfriend to keep women away. The two make a great team and in such close proximity they discover that their sexual chemistry is off the charts. Alexa just has one condition and Cass easily accepts. Don't fall in love. As their fake relationship develops, Alexa learns that Cass isn't the upstanding businessman she thought he was and Cass learns that his heart can still beat. Too bad it takes Alexa's kidnapping for him to realize how much she means to him.

(Billionaire's Surrogate In Love Book 2) After three years of separation and yearning for love. Fate finally brings Vivienne back to where it all started, this time as an intern at Victor's company. Things have changed. She solidifies her heart and focuses on building her life while ignoring the emotions and the love she has for a man she couldn't have, she finds herself in a predicament when roles are reversed, her absence seems to have triggered something when the arrogant CEO takes advantage and wants her at any cost. The secrets of Vivienne's past resurface when the Lewis family comes into existence. The most powerful family and its well-known heiress and Victor's childhood friend, Martha Lewis, is set on making herself a part of Victor's life. Including eradicating everything in her way by any means necessary. She has a secret, and it has Vivienne's true identity written all over it. And she's willing to bury every last piece of evidence and prevent anyone from knowing the real Lewis heiress. Victor and Vivienne fight to survive and find a happy ending, even if the fight for supremacy and wealth leads to unexpected deaths which trigger her mental health and leaves her completely shattered alongside friends' support who have become family, will the power of love be the solution to a happy ending or will divorce be the last option.

Fired… Then Pregnant One wild night. One positive test. One boss she was never supposed to meet again. After catching her boyfriend cheating—with her best friend, no less—Olivia Bennett did the unthinkable: she walked away from them and the company where all three of them worked. Broken-hearted and desperate for a fresh start, Olivia drowns her sorrows in one reckless night with a stranger. No names. No strings. Just heat. But fate isn’t done with her yet. Because when she walks into her brand-new job the next morning, she finds out her one-night stand isn’t just anyone— He’s Nathan Carter. The CEO. Her new boss. Worse? Her ex and ex-best friend work for him too. And Olivia? She’s pregnant.

Sara Atkins just wants to start anew. No Noah anymore. No food technology. No worries about love. She just needs a breeze of fresh air. An opportunity presents itself when Sara finds out about Beaumont, one of the biggest money companies in the US, who are searching for another accounting assistant. Miraculously, the Austrian girl is hired the day she gets interviewed, even if a bit too easily in her opinion. They had warned her about new position and her boss, however, she hadn't understood why. Until she met him. Mr Beaumont isn't only a tyrant, a brooding and yelling boss who hates tardiness and self-doubt, but also the most handsome man Sara has ever laid eyes on. Imposing, tall and handsome, the soon 30-year-old has already forced his way into her life. Cold, too witty for his own good, stern and unpredictable, this CEO is causing Sara way more trouble than she had anticipated - Mr. Beaumont makes her working day a living hell, makes her face countless of obstacles and plays with her mind as he pleases. Her cheating husband is enough headache as it is, but now Sara can't stop thinking about her boss who has been strangely nice to her, even though she can't stand him ... or is she just lying to herself?