The CEO's Temporary Wife
In a stark white room, the air thick with the pungent smell of medicine, a woman sat on a hospital bed, her gaze fixed on the window. Her right hand rested protectively on her stomach, while her left clutched a small blue blanket. Her eyes reflected the emptiness and loss that had recently befallen her.
Click!
The sound of the door opening did nothing to shift her focus. Her gaze remained glued to the window, ignoring the approaching footsteps. Even without turning, she knew exactly who had entered the room.
Rustle!
A piece of paper was held out to her, finally drawing her attention. She looked up at the man in a black suit standing beside her bed. His expression was cold and impassive as he stared back at her. With vacant eyes, she took the paper from him and began to read.
"As per our agreement, we were to divorce after the child was born. But unfortunately, the child died before entering this world. I don't hate our child, even though this marriage was arranged by our parents. I will no longer force my heart to love you, because no matter how long it takes…I will never be able to love you," the man said, his words met with continued silence.
The woman remained quiet, her eyes glued to the paper in her hand, her heart aching with each passing moment. Her silence seemed to infuriate the man beside her. "ALUNA! DON'T MAKE ME WAIT ANY LONGER! JUST SIGN THE PAPERS!" he snapped.
Aluna Sagita, a beautiful woman of twenty-four, had been married to this man, Efendi Kalingga, for a year. It was a union bound by the will of her late parents. Orphaned at eighteen, she had been raised by Efendi's parents until she was deemed ready to marry their son. Despite the forced nature of their relationship, Aluna had found a way to love her husband. Efendi, however, did not reciprocate her feelings and treated her poorly.
Their marriage was devoid of the love and warmth found in normal families. It wasn't until Aluna became pregnant that Efendi felt the need to try and make their marriage work, to try and love her. But his efforts were in vain. No matter how hard he tried, his heart remained closed off to the woman who was still, at least for now, his wife.
Then, tragedy struck when Aluna was just seven months pregnant. Her world was turned upside down once again, leaving her feeling utterly shattered. Her baby, a loss that cut her deeply, died in the womb before ever having a chance to live. Efendi saw this as Aluna's fault, solidifying his decision to divorce the woman now sitting before him.
"Did you deliberately get rid of our baby just so we could get a divorce?" Aluna's question ignited Efendi's fury. He grabbed her face, his grip a painful reminder of his anger.
"Why would I kill my own child?! You were the one who couldn't even be a decent mother and keep our baby safe! How can you even consider yourself worthy of being my wife? You couldn't even be a proper mother!" Efendi's words cut through Aluna like a knife.
"Just sign the divorce papers! I'm sick of this pathetic marriage!" Efendi roared, shoving her face away from his.
He pulled a pen from his suit pocket and flung it at her. Slowly, she picked it up and began to sign the divorce papers he had brought. Each stroke of the pen felt like a fresh wound to her already broken heart. Pain constricted her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Though Efendi didn't love her, she couldn't deny the memories they had made together, however scarce.
"Done?" Efendi snatched the papers back, folding them quickly before stuffing them into his pocket. His eyes flickered to Aluna, noticing the tears welling up in her eyes.
"You can hate me, but don't forget that you were once a father, even if only for a short while,” she whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of pain and sadness.
Efendi averted his gaze, his eyes landing on the blue blanket lying next to Aluna. He, too, felt the pain of losing his child, a son. Though his marriage to Aluna had been out of obligation, he hadn't hated his child. But now, with the baby gone, he could only think about getting away from this marriage.
"I've settled your medical bills, and I won't take the house that is rightfully yours. There's no need to go to court; let's make this divorce as smooth as possible. I'm leaving. Get well soon." With those parting words, Efendi turned and walked out, leaving a shattered Aluna behind.
Click!
Moments later, the door opened again, revealing a beautiful woman with a panicked expression. She quickly shut the door behind her and rushed to Aluna's side.
"Oh my God, Aluna! How are you feeling? Are you okay? I'm so sorry I'm late," she exclaimed, pulling Aluna into a tight embrace.
Aluna hugged her back, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed into the shoulder of the woman who held her, her sadness overwhelming. Sensing her pain, the woman simply held her tighter, allowing Aluna to release her grief.
"It's okay; it wasn't meant to be. Your baby will be waiting for you in a better place," she whispered soothingly.
"Mega, Efendi…he divorced me," Aluna choked out, her words causing the woman named Mega to widen her eyes in shock.
"What? How could he? You just lost your baby!" exclaimed Mega, her voice filled with disbelief and anger.
Aluna simply shook her head, unable to find the words to express the turmoil inside her. The pain was too much to bear, threatening to consume her. Seeing Aluna's anguish, Mega gently rubbed her back. They had been best friends since childhood, and Mega’s parents treated Aluna like their own daughter. Their bond was so strong that seeing Aluna hurting like this filled Mega with a fierce protectiveness.
"That jerk! Just wait; I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! You just stay here and rest," Mega fumed, about to storm out and confront Efendi.
"No, don't," Aluna pleaded, grabbing Mega's hand. She shook her head, silently begging her friend not to do anything rash.
Mega sighed, trying to rein in her anger. She sat down on the edge of the bed and resumed rubbing Aluna's trembling shoulders. Her heart ached for her friend; seeing her in so much pain was unbearable. "Don't you dare cry over him anymore. There are thousands of men out there better than him. You're beautiful, Aluna. You'll have men lining up to be with you," Mega said, hoping to lift Aluna’s spirits.
"I have no one left, Mega. Efendi was my only family. Now that we're divorced, I..."
"Hey! What about me? Don't you consider me family? My mom adores you; she's always asking about her favorite girl. Why don't you come stay with us? Mom would be thrilled to have you," Mega suggested, gently nudging Aluna's arm.
A warm smile touched Aluna's lips, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She had forgotten that she still had a best friend, a pillar of strength in her life. She reached out and hugged Mega again, eliciting a wide grin from the other woman.
"Show that jerk that you can live without him, that you can be happy without him! Be happy, Aluna! You deserve to be happy with someone who isn't completely clueless, unlike that soon-to-be-ex-husband of yours!" Mega declared, her words bringing a genuine smile to Aluna's face.
Meanwhile, in the same hospital, a handsome man stared down at another man lying in a hospital bed, his body hooked up to numerous machines. He gently took hold of the unconscious man's hand, his grip tight and unyielding. Slowly, his head bowed before he looked up again, his eyes filled with sadness as he gazed at the fragile figure before him.
"Wake up! Aren't you tired of lying in this bed? It's been four years. Don't you have any plans to wake up?"
Click!
A doctor entered the room, carrying a file. He stopped beside the man, his expression cautious as he addressed him. "Mr. Arvian, your brother's condition hasn't improved. If we were to remove the life support, he..."
"Who said anything about removing it? Let my brother live! Even if he needs machines to do so! I, Arvian Kent Sagara, will sue this hospital if you dare touch his life support!"
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Updated 111 Episodes
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